


Wireless Connection

by Dancing_Adrift, lotrspnfangirl



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Humor, Kissing, M/M, Medical Jargon, Mutual Pining, Nursing School, Online Relationship, Reverse Big Bang Challenge, Texting, Twitter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-03 03:58:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8695744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dancing_Adrift/pseuds/Dancing_Adrift, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lotrspnfangirl/pseuds/lotrspnfangirl
Summary: Jared finds stress relief in Twitter as a second-year nursing student. Over summer break, he becomes friends with Jackles @profjackles, aka Jensen. He doesn't even know what Jensen looks like, but he can’t help from falling for the man he met online anyway. Their relationship changes unexpectedly when Jensen accepts a new job at Jared's university.Nursing school is not nearly as hard as discovering that the guy you've fallen for is actually your professor.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **STORY BY:** [lotrspnfangirl](http://lotrspnfangirl.livejournal.com/) \- Check out her [LJ masterpost here!](http://lotrspnfangirl.livejournal.com/101665.html)  
>  **ART BY:** [Dancing_Adrift](http://dancing-adrift.livejournal.com/) \- For more about the art, check out the [art masterpost here!](http://dancing-adrift.livejournal.com/13282.html)
> 
> For the [original prompt](http://i.imgur.com/eiGGobj.jpg): _Jared, college student, and Jensen, young college prof, only know each other - fairly anonymously (they don’t share photos of themselves or precise personal information) - via Twitter. Their online-only friendship changes unexpectedly when Jensen accepts a new job - at Jared’s school._
> 
>  **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**  
>  This is my second big bang, and my first time participating in [j2_reversebang](http://j2-reversebang.livejournal.com/). After a devastating loss of my first draft, I am so excited to post this story which has been a _blast_ for me to write. 
> 
> First off, huge, huge, huge thank you to Amanda who was the most amazing person to work with through this. Not only did she make some awesome art, but she beta'd and squeed in all the right places, and held my hand or pushed me when I needed it the most. Funnily enough, we communicated mostly through Twitter, which I kind of found perfect. This really wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for her.
> 
> Also, huge thank you to Cas (cassondrawinchester) for letting me bombard her with screen shots of my writing and morale boosting when I needed it and got stressed with my own nursing school problems (#nursingstudent #nursinglife). ♥
> 
>  **ARTIST'S NOTES**  
>  This is my second entry for the inaugural J2 ReverseBang ([first entry here!](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8840752/chapters/20272171)), though it is the first piece I envisioned, and it took me the most time to complete. As you can probably guess by the summary I provided with the original prompt, I had a pretty specific idea of what kind of story I was hoping to get to accompany my art.
> 
> Holy Hannah, did Danielle fucking _deliver_. I could not have asked for a more fulfilling fic. Couldn't have dreamed up the perfection that she wrote. She's already whispering promises of timestamps, too. And all this AFTER she lost and had to rewrite a nearly completed first draft. Amazing. It's been such a joy to have my dreams for this prompt so completely realized by her, and working with her to get this posted has been so much fun. As she's said, "We're awesome." We made a great team!! Hope y'all LOVE the fruits of our labor as much as we do! ♥

Silence.

That was the first thing that Jared was aware of as he fell back onto his bed and kicked his feet up, crossing them at the ankles. He relaxed back into the pillow and blew out a slow breath. He knew his parents were downstairs in the kitchen, his sister had disappeared somewhere into her room, but he couldn’t hear any of them. It was strange. Compared to the endless noise the dorm hallways always had, the silence was almost uncomfortable. Almost.

It had been a long semester and Jared was ready to not pick up a textbook for at least the next four weeks. He closed his eyes and pulled at the front of his shirt, the cool air sweeping against his sweaty skin. It was definitely weird to be back in Texas. The dry heat, although hot, was nothing compared to the humid May air of New England, and he was grateful for the Central Air circulating through the house. He thought of how Chad would be just as hot in New York as he’d been in New Hampshire and he chuckled softly.

Speaking of… Jared chuckled as he reached into his back pocket for his phone to send his friend a quick message. Part of him already missed his best friend, though he wouldn’t miss the obnoxious snoring.

**_Chad [6:42pm]: Not mad at me anymore?_ **

Jared rolled his eyes at Chad’s response. Despite being on Chad’s ass about packing the night before, he’d still woken up to his frantic best friend trying to shove the rest of his things into two large duffel bags. Jared had helped --even though it meant skipping getting them coffee-- and they just barely made it to the bus stop for their Concord Coach down to Boston.

As soon as they took their seats in the darkened bus, Chad had started to grumble about not getting breakfast. Jared must have given him quite the look because Chad had snapped his mouth shut and then plugged in his earphones to spend the hour ride sleeping against the bus window. He’d hugged Chad goodbye as the bus pulled into South Station--Chad making his quick exit before the driver lost patience to catch a MegaBus back to NYC--and Jared relaxed back into the seat for the fifteen minute ride to the airport.

**_Jared [6:43pm]: Depends. Does staying mad at you do me any good?_ **

Jared tossed his phone down onto the bed and turned to look at his bags. Part of him knew he should be unpacking a little bit—his mom would be on him soon enough if he chose to just live out of his suitcase for the next two months—but he lacked any energy to do anything further. He’d spent seven hours, with a half hour layover in Minneapolis, staring at his carry-on and that was good enough for him.

His phone chirped from the bed and Jared took that as a sign to flop back down and pick it up.

**_Chad [6:46pm]: I’ll spam you with all the pussy I’m getting._ **

Jared chuckled as his phone chirped four more times. Each text was a picture of Chad’s fat, orange tabby cat Marvin, named after Marvin Gaye of course.

**_Jared [6:50pm]: Yeah, yeah. You’re forgiven, I guess._ **

Jared smirked at the next picture of Chad sticking up his middle finger. Another notification popped up and Jared hit it, his phone opening up his Twitter app.

↰In reply to Jared P.  
**Jackles** @profjackles **·** 4 min  
**@mooseRN** I may be biased, but they secretly know that **#maleRNs** are the best.  
  
  


Jared clicked on the tweet and laughed when he remembered his frustrating last day of clinical.

 **Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** 6d  
“Can I have the real nurse?” “Uh, you’re a nurse?” “You’re… a guy.” **#maleRNproblems #studentnurse**  
  
  


He hit reply.

 **Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** _now_  
**@profjackles** is this because you ARE a **#maleRN** or because you’ve been taken care of by one?  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** _now_  
**@mooseRN** I am an RN, actually. I am hardly ever on the floor anymore. I've worked 12 years in cardiac and 6 years in rehab **#awesomemaleRN**  
  
  


**Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** _now_  
**@profjackles** I was just on a cardiac floor! I learned a lot but realized I know zip. I've never felt more inadequate. **#studentnurseproblems**  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** _now_  
**@mooseRN** I think all nursing students feel that way. I definitely would never want to go back to that. **#nursingschoolsucks** ;)  
  
  


**Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** _now_  
**@profjackles** ain’t that the truth.  
  
  


A knock on the door made Jared look up and he dropped his phone to the mattress beside him. He looked over as the door opened and Megan slipped in.

“Jeff’s almost here,” she said as she crossed the room and dropped down on the bed beside him, “and Mom expects us to be washed up and ready-”

Jared smiled and nudged his sister with his shoulder as he finished the sentence with her, “-for dinner in five. Not much has changed around here, has it?”

“Well…” Megan thought for a second. “It’s a heck of a lot quieter without having to listen to your crappy music playing in here.”

“Hey!” Jared protested, shoving against her harder. “It’s not my fault I don’t listen to the emo crap you listen to.”

“It’s not ‘emo’, Jared. It’s punk, thank you very much.”

Jared turned on his side to look at Megan whose arms were crossed tightly over her chest and she was staring up at the ceiling.

“Besides, anything is better than your country crap.”

“Shut up,” Jared laughed and sat up, reaching under Megan’s leg for his phone. “I’ll beat you downstairs.”

“That’s just because you’re a long-legged freak of nature!” Megan shot back and threw her legs over the side of the bed to sit beside him. She waited a pause, then yanked on his shoulder, hard, causing Jared to fall back on the bed. “Sucker!” Megan called over her shoulder as she bolted out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her just as Jared reached it.

He flung it open and burst into laughter as he heard his mom scolding her for slamming doors.

It was good to be home.

Jared blew out a slow breath and tried to calm the overwhelming sense of nausea.

It wasn’t working. He was going to throw up.

He’d been up for six hours now, refreshing BlackBoard’s grade page repeatedly. They’d _said_ the grades would be posted sometime in the morning, three weeks after the final. It was almost ten o’clock! There wasn’t much ‘morning’ left! He refreshed the page again, held his breath as the screen went white, and then fought the urge to throw his phone across the room.

**_Chad [10:01am]: Passed with flying colors!_ **

**_Chad [10:02am]: Or, well, a C. But still!!! I PASSED MAN!_ **

**_Chad [10:02am]: And Mr. Perfect got an A, am I right?_ **

**_Jared [10:03am]: Haven’t posted yet._ **

**_Chad [10:04am]: Ouch. Keep me updated._ **

Jared sighed and then realized he never replied to his friend’s good news. Also, Chad had been complaining the entire semester about the one English class he’d missed that was required for his major. It had been a nightmare helping him study for it, with countless drunken ramblings of how he ‘already spoke English!’ and ‘There’s no reason for this shit to be so fucking hard’.

**_Jared [10:05am]: Well now you can officially be the best damn hydrologist I know! And the rest of the world will be able to understand you, especially now that you’re a proficient C in English._ **

**_Chad [10:06am]: Shut up._ **

Jared refreshed the grade page again and groaned in frustration. Still nothing.

 **Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** _now_  
Waiting for your final grade, if possible, is worse than taking the actual test. I’m going to vomit. **#nursingschoolproblems**  
  
  


His stomach rolled again and he twisted, rolling over to lay on his stomach so he could bury his face in his pillow. He wondered what would happen if he _did_ fail… He knew his parents would let him come back home. Hell, over the past few weeks all his mother could talk about was how nice it was to have him home and how much she missed him. So he at least had a place to stay.

But then what? 

His stomach turned again. Last semester, they had gone from a class of one-hundred and eight to ninety-four. He hadn’t been close to any of the students that chose to drop or had failed, but part of him now wished he had been. What were they doing now? Did they try again? Were they going back? Were they destined to work at a McDonald's for the rest of their lives and never step foot in a hospital again?

Once again, he started thinking about the final. If there was one thing he’d learned from nursing school so far, it was that there is usually more than one answer, and the best one may not be the right one, depending on who is asking. Nursing is extremely situational, and a test question just… isn’t. Trying to make something black and white that’s really technicolor? Well, Jared was screwed.

He’d known the moment he had walked out that he’d messed up his ABGs… He’d flipped respiratory and metabolic acidosis and really, who even _does_ that?! He would never end up being a nurse… there was no way he passed. The last few weeks of the semester, the entire class had crunched their numbers to see what they needed on their final to pass the semester as a whole. Jared himself needed to get a 62%... but there was no way. Not when he couldn’t remember--

A ping from his phone made him pull out of the pillow and for a second, he thought the grades had updated. He rolled his eyes at his own wishful thinking and checked the notification.

 **Jackles** @profjackles **·** _now_  
**@mooseRN** I am sure you did fine! Afterall, **#maleRNs** are the best. Deep breath.  
  
  


**Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** _now_  
**@profjackles** No, I am pretty sure I bombed and I am a failure and will only ever be a wannabe **#maleRN**.  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** _now_  
**@mooseRN** I am trying not to laugh over here… Waiting for grades was probably the worst thing in nursing school. Pure torture. I empathize.  
  
  


**Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** _now_  
**@profjackles** Yes, it is. And obviously you managed to pass where I am positive that I have failed  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** _now_  
**@mooseRN** What makes you think you failed? I am sure you did great. Your feed shows you care, are passionate,  & spent a lot of time studying.  
  
  


**Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** _now_  
**@profjackles** I completely screwed up my ABGs… and I think I mixed up hypo/hyper thyroid disorders. And… *head desk*  
  
  


He waited a beat, but there were no new notifications. For a moment, Jared had the awful thought that he couldn’t even start a friendship properly, when his phone alerted him he had a private message.

Hey! I figured this would be easier than a million small tweets. I know this doesn’t help you right now, but I have a YouTube channel with nursing videos that will help you remember things easier, like cranial nerves or ABGs, lab values, assessments, etc. There’s a few with nursing processes, different systems disorders, pain scales… That is, if you’re a visual learner. I never could learn from textbooks and power points, so I made these to help me remember through school and I’ve gotten a lot of followers on it who have said it’s helped them too! I’m on YouTube as profjackles as well.  
10:20 AM

And really… breathe. There is nothing to panic about. You came out of your final and tweeted that you felt confident, happy it was over. So you’ve got this! Don’t worry until there’s actually something to worry about.  
10:21 AM

I don’t know how you had the time to do any of that… I can barely get a few hours at the bookstore in between studying, class and lecture, and you were able to make YouTube videos?! Color me impressed… I honestly don’t know how to stop worrying. What if I DID fail? Then what happens?!  
10:22 AM

If you failed… then you figure out why you failed and you go back and kick ass next semester. If you failed, you find better study habits, gain a better support system, cut back on working or carbs or whatever else might have interfered with you being successful, and then you go back and you become successful because IF you fail, it will be temporary.  
10:23AM

But, for the record, I don’t believe that you failed.  
10:23 AM

You don’t even know me… I could be the worst student ever and just pretending to tweet about my good grades and successful clinical days. I could honestly be a horrible, horrible candidate as an RN and would be much better suited for the wonderful world of MacD’s.  
10:24 AM

I really do like a good burger… Could you aim a little higher than McDonald’s, maybe Red Robbin?  
10:25 AM

Hah. Hah. Hah. You’re funny Jackles.  
10:26 AM

Red Robbin… YUM!  
10:26 AM

That’s it, when I become the best server (cashier?!) at Red Robbin, I will refuse you burgers.  
10:27 AM

Ouch. That’s cold, man… Here I am, supporting you in your endeavors, whichever they may be, and you’re going to cut me off from quick, delicious burgers.  
10:28 AM

Hey, Jared… I’ve got a good feeling. Check your grades.  
10:30 AM

Jared read the last message and felt his heart seize. For a moment, he’d actually forgotten about his stupid grade and had felt himself smiling. The nausea returned as he pressed the home button on his phone and found the Blackboard app.

It seemed like his fingers were frozen, stiff as they navigated through the pages to Tools and then Grades. The page seemed to take _ages_ to load.

Then…

“Mom!” Jared screamed as he threw himself off the bed, his heart pounding wildly in his chest as he flung open his bedroom door and stumbled into the hall. His phone was clutched in his hand and his eyes were burning as he made his way to the downstairs office where his mom would be working.

Sherri looked up with an eyebrow raised and hit a button on her phone, silencing their end from the conference call she was on.

“Everything okay, honey?” she asked, shoving the chair beside her desk with her socked foot for Jared to sit in. Jared practically threw himself into the chair and shoved the phone into his mom’s hands.

She looked down at the screen, squinting as she read, and Jared was sure the air in the room was completely sucked out as he waited for his mom’s response.

“Oh, Jared…” Sherri looked up, eyes shining in the lamplight, and Jared held his breath. “Honey, you did so well!”

Jared couldn’t help but break out into a wide smile and was immediately on his feet as his mom moved towards him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and tugging him down into a hug. She squeezed him tight and the rest of the stress and tension Jared had been feeling, melted away in her arms.

“I am so proud of you!” she whispered against his ear. “We need to go and celebrate! I’ll grab my keys and we’ll head to--”

“Mom,” Jared laughed as he pushed her back to an arm’s length, straightening up to look down at her with a smile on his face. “You’re not finished working, remember?” There was a moment of silence between them in which they could hear the non-muted side of the conference call still going on.

“Oh, right.” Sherri looked sheepish and shoved her son away. “You distracted me!”

Jared rolled his eyes and took his phone back from his mom. She grabbed him as he made to leave and pulled him down again to kiss him on the cheek.

“We’ll all go out to dinner tonight, okay? I bet we could get Jeff and Katie to go with us, too. I’m proud of you baby!”

“Thanks, Mom.” Jared’s stomach gave a happy flip and he left just as Sherri unmuted the phone and seamlessly joined back into the conversation her colleagues were having. As he went to the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee, he checked his phone.

 **Jackles** @profjackles **·** 5m  
Well?!?! **@mooseRN**! You can’t leave us all hanging!!! **#whatdyouget #patientsisnotmyvirtue #SeeWhatIDidThere**  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** 4m  
**@mooseRN** Patients… hah. I am still laughing at myself. **#nursinghumor #ineedmorecoffee**  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** 2m  
… **@mooseRN** … I am hoping your silence is a good thing?  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** 1m  
**@MooseRN** Dude. **@profjackles** ain’t the only 1 waiting! I know u have ur phone on u. It’s attached 2 ur friggen head.  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** 1m  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @MooseRN** It’s attached to his head? I am not sure how to picture that…  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** _now_  
**@profjackles @MooseRN** Picture moose, freakishly tall n gangly w/iphone plastered 2 his head. Basically J in a nutshell. Even does moosecall  
  
  


Jared rolled his eyes as Chad’s reply to Jackles came through and he immediately typed out his own response before grabbing his mug from beneath the Keurig and adding creamer and sugar to his coffee.

 **Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** _now_  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @profjackles** Chad, you’re a douche. I don’t have the phone attached to my head.  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** _now_  
**@mooseRN @profjackles** head, face, same difference.  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** _now_  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** Maybe not the same, but similar for sure. Must make it hard to see…  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** _now_  
**@profjackles @mooseRN** Dudes always walking in2 things. Doors, walls, people, air. Tall n gangly man, tall n gangly.  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** _now_  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** Guess he should invest in some padding. Maybe a helmet? **#reallifenursingproblems**  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** _now_  
**@profjackles @mooseRN** then the phone on his head could be like a headlamp. Perfect. So doing it next semester.  
  
  


**Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** _now_  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @profjackles** I hate you both.  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** _now_  
**@mooseRN @ChaddasaurusRex** Somehow I don’t question that. You did say you would deny me burgers. **#cruelandunusualpunishment**  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** _now_  
**@mooseRN @profjackles** B-L-O-W M-E B-I-T-C-H  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** _now_  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** Wow, that escalated quickly.  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** _now_  
**@profjackles @mooseRN** He would. He’d love it 2. I m the chadmesiter, dr sexy in the house!  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** _now_  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** is that after the Heatmeister?  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** _now_  
**@profjackles @mooseRN** … the wut now?  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** _now_  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** The Heatmeister! From the Year Without Santa Claus?  
  
  


Jared took a sip of his coffee and laughed as soon as his phone beeped with a text message from Chad.

**_Chad [11:14am]: Dude. Wtf is a heatmeister?_ **

**_Chad [11:14am]: I feel stupid. Like, is my username supposed 2 mean something?_ **

**_Jared [11:15am]: Remember the Rudolph movie? I think it was Heat Miser though…_ **

**Jackles** @profjackles **·** _now_  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** I officially feel old.  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** _now_  
**@profjackles @mooseRN** Well u r old. U got it wrong! Its heat miser not meister. So… **#owned**.  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** _now_  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** Oh, I see. My mistake. You are correct!  
  
  


**Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** _now_  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @profjackles** You’re a toolbag Chad.  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** _now_  
**@profjackles @mooseRN** kisses bitchessss  
  
  


**_Jared [11:20am]: lol really Chad? You had no freaking clue what he was talking about._ **

**_Chad [11:21am]: utilizing resources, jman. Isn’t that some nursing lesson crap?_ **

Jared rolled his eyes and looked up as Megan shuffled into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Although he’d been out of school for over a month now, the high school had just gotten out four days earlier, and Megan was more than happy to take advantage of the opportunity to sleep in.

She grumbled a hello and reached over for Jared’s mug, immediately dragging it across the island so she could pick it up and down half of it in one go.

“That was mine,” Jared sighed as he accepted his half-empty mug back and smirked as his sister lifted the bottom of her shirt to wipe her mouth. “Real classy, Meg.”

“What can I say? Its how I get all the boys.” She sniffed and hopped up onto the stool beside Jared’s and leaned her head on his shoulder. “What was Mom all excited about?”

“I got an 87% for my final grade this semester,” he explained and swirled his cup around before taking a sip. “Mom’s thinking we’re going out to dinner tonight to celebrate.”

Megan nodded slowly, holding out her hand for his coffee again, and nudged his shoulder in her own form of ‘congratulations’. Then, after she drained his drink, she sighed.

“What?” he asked, accepting the empty cup and pushing up on the stool to deposit it into the sink across the island.

“Between celebrating your semester and me graduating this weekend? Do you even _know_ how many times we’re going to go out to eat and get cake and all that crap?” She sighed again, then whined, “I’m going to get so fat! I’m going to have to go to the gym on Sunday _and_ Wednesday this week!”

“Megan… since when do you even go to the gym ever?” Jared asked, raising an eyebrow. His sister turned and looked offended for a moment before she smirked.

“Okay, well, if I _did_ go to the gym then I would have to work extra hard this week. Is that better?”

Jared just rolled his eyes and hopped off of the stool. “I’m sure you’ll survive,” he called over his shoulder in parting and heard his sister huff in response.

Back in his room, Jared shut the door behind him and collapsed backwards on the bed, a smile playing at his lips.

He did it. He actually fucking did it.

One year of nursing school, done and gone, and only two more left. He’d gotten all of his pre-requisites out of the way—his statistics class being how he met Chad in the first place—and now all he had to do was focus on the nursing centered courses over the next four semesters and he would be _golden_.

He couldn’t help the elated giggle that burst from his chest and then quickly shut it down, more than grateful that he was home and _alone_. Chad never would have let him live a noise like that down.

Speaking of… Jared pulled out his phone and realized he’d never actually told Chad or Jackles that he’d passed the course.

Hey! So… I don’t know if you assumed from me actually having an intelligent conversation with you instead of being a wreck and a half. But… I passed!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
11:42 AM

See?! I told you!  
11:43 AM

I am so happy for you! I knew you had it in the bag :) You must be feeling so relieved… I didn’t want to ask you on your feed, just in case. So I’m glad you told me!  
11:45 AM

My mother had to be the first to know. I’m sure you know how that goes?  
11:46 AM

Oh, don’t I. Moms are the best.  
11:47 AM

Or they cook the best.  
11:48 AM

Or, both options.  
11:48 AM

I’ll go with both options. If I didn’t? My mom would kill me.  
11:49 AM

LOL I hear that! So are you going out to celebrate tonight? Something like this deserves celebration!! First year done, right?  
11:50 AM

Yeah, we’re going to go out as a family. Plus, my little sister finished high school and graduates on Friday, so it’s almost a preliminary celebration for that, too. I am in my second year, first year of nursing courses and clinical.  
12:01 PM

Well that should be fun! I haven’t been able to get together with all of my family in far too long… And those are definitely reasons to celebrate! How many siblings do you have?  
12:02 PM

I have an older brother and a younger sister. Jeff is three years older than me and Megan is six years younger.  
12:02 PM

Middle children are the best.  
12:02 PM

I may be biased on that statement too.  
12:03 PM

Haha middle child, too? It’s definitely better than being the youngest or the oldest. I am sure I got away with much more than either one of my siblings. Its been a while since I’ve seen Jeff... he’s married now, has a kid on the way. My mom mentioned that Megan applied to my school for next year… It would be a different program but would be nice to have her around.  
12:05 PM

I’m sure that would be a good experience for her, too, having her big brother around to show her how college life is. Too bad you’re a nursing student and your college life is all studying… She’s going to be bored out of her mind if she gets stuck with you! ;)  
12:06 PM

Hey now, I’ve gone to a college party!! I stayed out way too late and even skipped class in the morning because I was too hungover to get out of bed!!!  
12:07 PM

During your first year? The pre-requisites?  
12:08 PM

Hah. I thought so.  
12:12 PM

Well, you know what it’s like. You miss a lecture, you better be dying. You miss a clinical? You better be dead. Either way, you’re screwed.  
12:13 PM

Yeah, I am not about that life anymore. I don’t miss being a student…  
12:14 PM

I just keep telling myself, two more years, two more years.  
12:15 PM

You’ll get there :)  
12:16 PM

**_Chad [2:22am]: Dude. The girl I just boned was the most flexible a girl could ever be. Not even jokin’_ **

**_Jared [2:23am]: Chad. Did you just wake me up to tell me about your sex life?_ **

**_Chad [2:25am]: Its just like college. Would probably climbed in2 bed w/ u to tell u all about it at home. U no it 2._ **

**_Jared [2:26am]: I hate the way you write text._ **

**_Chad [2:26 am]: That is ur glorious response? U don’t like me text speaking? I just told u my night was bomb, and u want to be the grammar police?_ **

**_Jared [2:28 am]: Just an observation. You woke me up, deal with it._ **

**_Chad [2:29am]: Love u2._ **

**_Chad [2:30am]: Love you too. Better?_ **

**_Jared [2:31am]: Hope you wrapped your tool. You know the ‘flexible ones’ are the ‘best ones’. Isn’t that what you said about Sophia?_ **

**_Chad [2:33am]: Do u take me as some kind of idiot? Course I wrapped my tool. I ain’t dumb!_ **

**_Jared [2:34am]: …_ **

**_Chad [2:35am]: Fuck u Paddles. Go back 2 sleep princess._ **

Jared opened his eyes slowly and blinked at the sun that was streaming through the thin crack of the blinds. He reached for his phone on the nightstand and scrolled through his Facebook feed to see if there was anything worth checking on since the night before, and then looked at his Twitter notifications.

He snorted as he saw the conversation that had gone on between Chad and Jackles while he’d been sleeping.

 **Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** 6h  
**@mooseRN** is a grumpy bitch in the middle of the night. **#grammarnazi #getyoursleepprincess #paddlesneeds2bpaddled**  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** 6h  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** I am assuming you woke him up? Not sure I want to ask about the paddles part…  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** 6h  
**@profjackles** Yeah, **@mooseRN** needs a good paddling. Prolly like it 2 much 2 b honest…  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** 6h  
**@profjackles** Right **@mooseRN**? U kill 2 have me paddle U!  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** 6h  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** I am not even sure how to respond to that. Beauty sleep is important. We obviously don’t need it.  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** 6h  
**@profjackles @mooseRN** Dude, speaking my language. Don’t need beauty sleep, I’m the mothafucking Chadster!!!  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** 6h  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** lol I thought it was –meister?  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** 6h  
**@profjackles** Ladies can’t always handle the meister. Apparently, **@mooseRN** can’t either because he actually went back 2 sleep  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** 6h  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** lol he couldn’t handle it, huh? How late is it even for you guys?  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** 6h  
**@profjackles @mooseRN** East Coast 4 me baby! Princess is 1hrs behind down in the longhorn state. So really, shouldn’t b bitching.  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** 6h  
**@profjackles** granted, **@mooseRN** isn’t an Adonis like me and needs all the help his freakish frame can get.  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** 6h  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** I am more than positive he will appreciate that comment greatly.  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** 6h  
**@profjackles @mooseRN** hell get over it. He loves me 2 much. What r u doing up so late? Have a hot date with a flexible hottie like me?  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** 5h  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** Well, I suppose that all depends on if you consider the main character of FarCry4 a hottie. He is pretty flexible.  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** 5h  
**@profjackles @mooseRN** DUDE U GAME!? What system.  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** 5h  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** I have both, but prefer the PS.  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** 5h  
**@profjackles @mooseRN** Adding you. Best friend status accomplished. Can’t get mooseman to try a freaking Gameboy.  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** 5h  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** You’re failing him!!!! Go ahead and add me. I’ll kick your ass in multiplayer. Same name as this.  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** 5h  
Hear that **@mooseRN**? **@profjackles** is my new biffle.  
  
  


Jared rolled his eyes as he finished scrolling through their conversation and then rolled over onto his side. Suddenly, it hit him how much he really missed having Chad around. Despite being in a near constant state of communication—the idiot had snapped Jared a picture of his shit the other morning—it was different. He missed seeing his friend, hearing his voice, though that sounded way too weird for his own mind.

He needed a distraction.

Jared pushed himself out of bed, pulling on a pair of sweats from the floor and heading out of his room and down the hallway. His mother was busy typing and talking on the phone when he passed by the office door, so he continued into the living room to find Megan, curled up on the couch with a blanket and watching Saturday morning cartoons.

He gave a soft chuckle and jumped over the back of the couch, landing with a rough plop beside her. He beamed as she smacked his arm, grumbling at him for scaring the crap out of her.

“What are we watching?” He nudged her feet and took some of the blanket for himself as he looked up to the television.

“Spongebob,” she replied with a shrug. “Nothing else on.”

“You would watch Spongebob even if there was something better on. Don’t lie.”

“No!” she argued back, then smirked, pressing her toes against his ankle. “There is nothing better than Spongebob anyways.”

They fell into a comfortable silence, watching the two fifteen-minute episodes and just as the next episode was starting, Jared’s stomach let out a growl. Megan jumped for the second time that morning and cocked her head to look at him.

“Hungry much?” She laughed and Jared’s stomach answered for him as it growled again. “Think we could get Mom to make us breakfast?”

Jared snorted. “Do _you_ want to be the one opening that door to ask? You know the rule, it better be bleeding or someone better be dead.”

“Or you better have passed nursing school,” Megan added.

“Yeah, or that.” He smiled and leaned back into the couch. “I don’t want to cook anything…”

“I am not cooking shit for you, Jared,” Megan said quickly, throwing him a look. “There’s bread and shit on the top of the fridge.”

“Oh, toast. Just what I wanted.” His stomach protested again. He sighed, then looked over at his sister. “Want to go to Denny’s?”

“That’s a stupid question.”

Megan threw the blanket off her lap and into Jared’s face as she pushed away from the couch and made her way down the hallway. Jared followed after her, after detangling himself from the mess, and swapped his sweats for jeans and pulled on a t-shirt. When he got back into the kitchen, Megan was leaning against the counter and brushing her hair out.

“I’m driving,” she said calmly, tossing the brush onto a chair and picking up a set of keys from the countertop. “I texted Mom and told her I was taking the Explorer.”

“I’m driving back.”

Megan rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.

Jared took his phone from his pocket and updated his Twitter with a smile as his sister hooked up her iPod and started playing old school Taylor Swift.

“This is for _your_ benefit, you know. Wouldn’t want your ears to bleed from my ‘emo shit’.”

“I knew you loved me,” Jared beamed back.

 **Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** _now_  
**@mPad** wouldn’t cook me pancakes, she just doesn’t know she’s going to buy them for me instead. **#goodtobehome #sisterprivileges #feedme**  
  
  


Megan glanced down at her phone as it pinged his tweet to her. “You’re such a loser. You’re older, you’re paying.”

“We’ll flip a coin,” Jared countered back, laughing as she turned up the radio in response.

The drive to the diner was quick and Jared’s stomach growled again the moment they stepped out of the SUV and were assaulted by the scent of bacon and sausage from the parking lot.

Megan side-eyed him as he pushed open the doors and held them for her. He raised an eyebrow and she smirked in response. The hostess smiled at them as they approached the podium, grabbing two menus, ready to escort them to their table. Softly, Megan whispered, “From the look on your face, you’re contemplating enough food to feed three people. If that’s the case? _You_ are so paying.”

“Here you are! Sarah will be your server this morning and she’ll be right over in a moment!” The hostess beamed at them as they took their seats, handing each of them a plastic coated menu.

“You know, since you’re paying, I think I’m going to get the Lumberjack Breakfast _and_ the French Toast Platter. What do you think?”

“I think I’m going to kick you, that’s what I think,” Megan answered from behind her menu, her eyes never leaving the glossy pages.

Jared chuckled and returned his attention to figuring out what he wanted to eat. Although, the Lumberjack Breakfast and French toast did sound good… When Sarah came to take their order, Jared ordered them a pot of coffee and the Lumberjack Breakfast with French toast instead of regular toast.

“It’s all about compromise.” He beamed across the table as Megan folded up her menu to hand to their waitress.

“Yeah, well, you better eat the entire thing,” she muttered back. They waited for their coffee and a comfortable silence stretched out between them. As Jared was lifting his mug to his lips, Megan broke it and asked, “Who’s this Jackles guy you and Chad keep talking with on your twitter? You guys blow up my feed…”

“Oh, he’s a nurse actually. He replied to one of my tweets at the beginning of the summer and we just started talking. He seems pretty cool and Chad likes to integrate himself into every conversation.”

Megan laughed and nodded her head. “Don’t I know that… I will never forget him talking to Ashleigh and I about what color lipstick would look better for one of Ashleigh’s dates. He actually had a few good points.”

“He was a woman in another life.”

“Probably.” Megan smiled and stirred her coffee. “Well, this Twitter guy seems pretty fun anyways. Are you picking his brain about nursing things? Are you still happy with your major?”

“Well, I actually haven’t done as much studying as I probably should… I’ve got an ATI book waiting for me to crack open on my desk but the idea of it just makes me cringe. I bet I could pick his brain though… He’s been good to talk to so far.”

“See if he has any study tips or something. Or, even better, how he remembers the shit he needs to in a real nursing situation.” Megan took a sip and sighed happily. “We both know school isn’t anywhere close to real life…”

“Oh, I know. Seriously Meg,” Jared leaned forward, “I had a professor for one of my rotations who wanted us to go through the assessment the way the text wanted. Which, of course, takes almost forty-five minutes. No nurse in their right mind would do that on a day-to-day basis!” He shook his head and took a long drag of his coffee before setting it back down on the table. “Bowel sounds for twenty minutes! They want three to five minutes on each quadrant, even if you hear sounds in the first thirty seconds. It took _forever_.”

“Well,” Megan shrugged, smirking at the sudden animation over Jared’s features, “I suppose it _is_ good to know, just in case there is a situation that merits the full assessment, right?”

“Well, true. But in a real clinical situation, your assessment will be catered to the patient and their needs.” Jared nodded and looked up to see Megan staring at him. “What?”

“You just… I don’t know, sound nurse-like?” She smiled and shrugged again. “I never would’ve thought you would be a nurse, but you seem really happy. I’m really proud of you.”

“Thanks, Meg. If you told me that I was going to go to school for nursing when I was back in high school? I would’ve told you that you were insane. But, I don’t know, when I did the college tour and we got to walk around the different departments and buildings, it just appealed to me, you know?”

”Yeah, I know.” Megan paused and shifted, suddenly uncomfortable.

Jared opened his mouth to ask, just as their plates arrived, and his sister dug in with enthusiasm. Jared took his time cutting up his toast and covering every piece with syrup before he asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Megan shrugged, shoving a bite of her pancake into her mouth. She chewed slowly and Jared resisted the urge to ask again. “Would you be mad if I chose to go to UNH, too?”

Jared blinked. “You really applied to UNH? Mom mentioned it, but I wasn't sure you did.”

Megan shrugged, her eyes trained on the syrup running through the triangle missing from her cakes. “Just… figured I could try.” She licked her lower lip and slowly cut another bite. “They have a good criminal justice program.”

“And you’re worried that if you go there I would, what? Be angry you chose the same college as me?” Jared fought back the laugh as his sister’s face flushed red.

“Well, I don’t know, Jared! Maybe you don’t want your little sister following you or something! Maybe you like being up there alone!”

“Megan, look at me, you moron.” Jared smiled as his sister’s face snapped up, hurt flashing in her eyes until she saw the smile on his face. “I think it would be awesome for you to go to school with me. I would have someone to study with or get lunch with me, and since you’re my sister you would feel obligated not to tell me no!”

She smiled and shoved the forkful into her mouth. “You really wouldn’t care if I went to school with you?”

“No, Megan. I think it would be awesome. I love it there, really, and I think you will, too.”

“Good, because I already sent in my acceptance letter.”

Jared’s smile matched his sisters and he raised his coffee mug in a toast.

“This is so dumb,” she laughed but lifted her own mug to meet his with a ceramic clink over their plates. Jared just took a sip and turned back to his plate. When Megan whispered, “Thank you,” he nodded and nudged her leg with his foot.


	2. Chapter 2

I am going insane. I should not have taken even a day off from studying. It’s almost JULY. I passed the first year but I sure as hell won’t pass the next semester!  
9:53 PM

Are you having a meltdown at almost midnight over school?  
9:55 PM

It’s almost 10 here, not midnight. But, yes.  
9:56 PM

I stand corrected :)  
9:57 PM

What brought this on?  
9:57 PM

Nothing… Just, trying to study a bit, and I feel like I’ve forgotten everything, and I’m probably bugging you so I’m just going to return to these books and try to pretend I know something about anything nursing related.  
9:58 PM

You’re not bothering me, I promise. Now, what are you trying to study? Remember, skills come back much easier in a clinical setting than they do when you’re sitting on your butt at home. You DO know this. And the stuff that you don’t? You will learn. Don’t put yourself down.  
10:00 PM

I’m going over some of my med cards from last semester and I just… I feel like I’m never going to remember any of this. I was taking some ATI tests (not sure if you used that with your school? It’s an online system that helps with skills, studying and testing) and I was not hitting the mark on like half of them.  
10:02 PM

Were they ATI tests you had taken last semester? Meds are difficult to remember. But remember, when you’re in a clinical setting you will have a MAR and access to Lexicomp, and there will be meds that are used often on your floor that you will know like the back of your hand. School isn’t realistic in that regard, I know, but trust your instincts.  
10:03 PM

Well… no. I was looking at some modules for next semester.  
10:04 PM

So you’re upset that you don’t know material you haven’t learned yet?  
10:05 PM

God, I don’t miss nursing school at all. You drive yourself freaking crazy.  
10:05 PM

I should be able to figure out most of it!  
10:06 PM

What you should be focusing on through the summer is your basic nursing skills, things that will carry you through. Even simple things—setting up IVs, piggy backing, common meds like anticoagulants, broad spectrum antibiotics, pain medications – narcotic and non-narcotic—and things like assessments and vitals. Everyone has the same systems, learn those. Study those. The rest will follow.  
10:08 PM

You sound so confident…  
10:09 PM

I am. I think I said before I’ve worked rehab and cardiac? Those are the things that are the same in both, they’re the same in maternity, in geriatrics, in med surge, in surgical. Those are the fundamentals and the things you shouldn’t be rusty on. While you’re in your specific clinical setting, you’ll get the specific meds and procedures down. But don’t stress prematurely!  
10:10 PM

I checked out your YouTube channel, actually. Your assessment video series are actually really good and helpful. I don’t know how I feel about that song though… whoever you got to sing it has a really good voice though.  
10:12 PM

Thanks! And thank you… My sister wrote the words, she’s a psych nurse, actually. And I don’t know how she convinced me to actually sing it…  
10:12 PM

That was YOU?  
10:13 PM

What the hell are you doing being a nurse? You should go on Idol or something…  
10:14 PM

Oh man, I have a hard time getting up in front of a group of people and talking, never mind singing to them.  
10:14 PM

Do you have to talk in front of people often for your job?  
10:15 PM

Yes, actually. I love what I do, but that’s probably the worst… I do the whole ‘picture everyone in their underwear’ bit so that I can feel a bit better. Once I get started, I’m good. It’s the initial moment of everyone staring at you, being the center of attention, that makes me want to choke.  
10:16 PM

Wow… I don’t know if I would want to picture a room of people in their underwear. How on Earth does that make you feel better?  
10:17 PM

I think it just gets my mind off the fact that I’m supposed to be talking. I have no idea why it works. It just does!  
10:18 PM

Huh. Well, at least it works for you!  
10:19 PM

You think I’m crazy now, don’t you?  
10:20 PM

You play video games with Chad. I already thought you were crazy.  
10:21 PM

Hah! True. But, seeing as I’ve heard you’ve never actually played with him, you aren’t allowed to pass judgement.  
10:22 PM

He confided in me that he’s bringing his system this semester and he’s going to make you play Far Cry.  
10:23 PM

I wonder if it’s too late to request a room change…  
10:24 PM

Omg. You wouldn’t!!!  
10:25 PM

:)  
10:25 PM

No, I wouldn’t. He’s stuck with me, whether I like it or not.  
10:26 PM

I’m sure even when he’s a pain in the ass, he’s a good friend. He seems that way anyways.  
10:27 PM

Yeah, he is.  
10:27 PM

Just don’t tell him I said so.  
10:28 PM

My lips are sealed. Or, you know, my fingers.  
10:29 PM

LOL thanks.  
10:29 PM

Jared leaned back in his computer chair and stretched his arms above his head, groaning as his spine cracked and popped. He supposed he had been in the same hunched-over position for the last four hours… Maybe Jackles was right. He snorted as he realized he’d actually spent the past four hours trying to learn completely new material.

Sighing, Jared clicked onto the ATI website and pulled up some of the skill modules from last semester. He would do one, maybe two, modules and then head to bed. 

He clicked into the first pharmacology pre-test and sat forward, blinking at the sudden white of the screen -- quite the contrast from the dark background of his twitter screen-- and then got to work.

Any luck?  
11:21 PM

I’m guessing yes? Or maybe you gave up and went to bed.  
11:59 PM

I am sending you relaxing, stress-relieving vibes!!! Hope you’re sleeping well.  
12:46 AM 

Holy crap. Time flies when you’re doing fifteen pharmacology modules.  
1:12 AM

And I am only saying this to you because you’re not Chad… You were right. A lot of stuff was coming back to me when I was doing the pre-tests and then, the things that weren’t, came after I read the rationales. Seriously, ATI is a godsend.  
1:14 AM

See?! And yes, ATI pretty much got me through my courses and through the NCLEX.  
1:16 AM

God, don’t even mention that to me. I can’t even think about it yet.  
1:17 AM

Mention what? Huh? Don’t know what you’re talking about. I wasn’t saying anything! I was just asking how the weather was.  
1:18 AM

At… one in the morning  
1:20 AM

Good :)  
1:21 AM

And it’s still hot as balls outside.  
1:22 AM

Sometimes, I wonder. And then you make comments like that and I realize you and Chad really are friends.  
1:23 AM

Thanks for the visual LOL  
1:24 AM

Oh, you’re welcome. And if it was Chad? He would’ve said hot as leg-plastering sweaty balls.  
1:26 AM

 **#justsaying**  
1:27 AM

Jesus Christ.  
1:28 AM

You’re so right. He would. Now, I am heading to bed. I have an interview for a new job position tomorrow that requires me to be up at a somewhat reasonable hour.  
1:30 AM

Sound so formal. Alright Jackles, sleep well and good luck on your interview!  
1:31 AM

**Jackles** @profjackles **·** 30m  
Who blew away the competition in his interview? **#thisguy**  
  
  


Jared smiled as he opened up his Twitter feed and saw the tweet at the top.

 **Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** _now_  
Good job **@profjackles**! Hope you weren’t too sleep deprived, though I suppose it doesn’t matter!  
  
  


Jared pocketed his phone and moved into the house, dropping his messenger bag on one of the stools in the kitchen as he passed through. The house itself was silent, save for the soft humming from the central air. There was a note on the center of the counter from his mom.

_Jay-- Dad and I are taking Megan shopping for her new dorm! Text or call Dad if there’s anything you or Chad need for your room. Jeff’s coming for dinner so don’t spoil your appetite. ♥ Mom_

Jared let the note fall back onto the counter and moved over to the fridge. He grabbed an apple from the crisper and a Sprite before making his way upstairs. He’d spent most of the morning at the San Antonio library working on the remaining pharmacology and nurse logic modules and he was dying to do anything un-nursing related.

Three weeks. That was all that was left before summer vacation was officially over and he would be back to the daily grind. He scrubbed a hand over his face as he took to the stairs, two at a time, and pushed his bedroom door open with his foot.

For someone who had been dreading and putting off packing when he’d first come home, Jared’s room was a mess. He chuckled as he shoved a pile of laundry off the end of his bed, promising himself he would check it before he went to sleep to see if it was clean or dirty, and scooted up to sit against the headboard.

He pulled his laptop over from where it was resting on the top of his nightstand and opened up the screen with one hand as he took a giant bite of his apple with the other. He checked his email, then his student email—because, honestly, nursing couldn’t just stop no matter how much he wanted it to-- before opening up Facebook and Twitter in two respective tabs.

He scrolled through his Facebook feed first, shaking his head as it was plastered with pictures of Chad partying and photobombing what seriously looked like _everyone_ in whatever club he was in. He rolled his eyes. Although Durham, New Hampshire had its fair share of places to party, Chad home in the city put him right back into his element.

He changed tabs and scanned his Twitter feed.

 **Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** 11h  
Spent the night partying w some awesome peeps! When I got 3 **#s** from dudes I realized it was more **@mooseRN** scene, not mine. **#greatboozetho**  
  
  


Jared almost choked on his Sprite as he pictured Chad’s face when he realized he was in a gay bar. He went to click the arrow to reply when he saw Jackles had already done so.

 **Jackles** @profjackles **·** 8h  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** it took you an entire night to realize you were in the wrong bar? You must mean GREAT booze.  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** 8h  
**@profjackles @mooseRN** 2b fair? The 1st # was given 2 me by a man w a glitter bra.  
  
  


**Jackles** @profjackles **·** 8h  
**@ChaddasaurusRex** so you're saying that **@mooseRN** type of scene includes men in glitter bras?  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** 8h  
**@profjackles @mooseRN** dude, if the tit fits, suck it.  
  
  


“Jesus Christ, Chad…” Jared muttered under his breath and looked at the top of his screen to the small red icon showing him he had a message.

So… You have a thing for glitter bras?  
3:46 AM

No judgement here. I mean, as long as it's not pink glitter. That would be too clichéd.  
7:35 AM

Please tell me I didn't offend you?  
9:58 AM

No, you didn't offend me. I’m friends with Chad, remember?  
3:45 PM

And no, I don't have a fondness for glitter bras. I’m just your stereotypical gay male nurse!  
3:46 PM

Oh, well, I resemble that statement.  
3:46 PM

No secret fondness for glitter bras I should be aware of? Sounds like Chad could hook you up…  
3:47 PM

No, I prefer my men without bras, or without clothing period if I were to be completely honest.  
3:48 PM

I can not believe I just typed that.  
3:48 PM

LOL! What good are online friends for if you can't blurt out exactly what's on your mind? Hahaha  
3:49 PM

That is very true.  
3:50 PM

So what's your type? Tall, dark, and handsome or blonde, ken doll?  
3:51 PM

Lmao those are my only options?  
3:52 PM

It sounds like YOU would fit right into Chad’s club scene…  
3:53 PM

Haha. No, I am definitely too old for the night club scene.  
3:55 PM

Well you DO have a profile picture of a cat… **#crazycatman**  
3:56 PM

Is that even a thing?  
3:56 PM

I would have to have multiple cats in order to be considered “crazy”. As it stands, I only have one, so I'm just awesome.  
3:57 PM

You're lucky she's a cute cat or else I would have to press the issue.  
3:58 PM

My cat is better than yours.  
4:00 PM

Lol I don't have a cat.  
4:00 PM

That's why she's better!!  
4:01 PM

How did we get to talking about crossdressing men to cats?  
4:02 PM

There is an answer of how they correlate but it's inappropriate and probably something Chad would say.  
4:03 PM

Hahahaha man, you know Chad so well.  
4:04 PM 

He's quite the character.  
4:05 PM

But I definitely see why you keep him around.  
4:06 PM

He’s the best… Just don't tell him that.  
4:07 PM 

Totally took a screenshot for blackmail.  
4:07 PM

You wound me. I thought we were friends!!  
4:08 PM

Even friends need to be prepared!!  
4:09 PM

I have finally realized what “profjackles” stands for.  
4:09 PM

Professional jackass.  
4:10 PM

Would you be shocked to know you're not the first person to say that?  
4:11 PM

Did you screenshot their Twitter conversations for blackmail too?  
4:12 PM

Of course not! You're special.  
4:12 PM

It was Facebook.  
4:13 PM

You're just as bad as Chad!!!!  
4:14 PM 

Yeah, but I'm probably much better looking than Chad.  
4:15 PM

Well, your cats cuter than the T-Rex he has…  
4:16 PM

Well, there you go. The internet never lies.  
4:18 PM

No, not ever.  
4:19 PM

My brother just got here… Have to go be social since I don't get to see him much.  
4:20 PM

Alright! Enjoy spending time with your family! I'll talk to you later :)  
4:21 PM

:)  
4:22 PM

**_Chad [4:15pm]: So how much booze will Meggie’s b able 2 fit 4 us?_ **

**_Jared [4:16pm]: Please tell me you’re joking._ **

**_Chad [4:17pm]: Dude! U know they will check our room 4 it after last semester. Meggie is new, innocent, perfect 2 hide the goods._ **

**_Jared [4:19pm]: Chad, we are not setting my sister up by loading her down with your personal mini bar! One? I would like my sister to not worry about anything being in her room and enjoy her first semester of college and two? My mother would kill us BOTH._ **

**_Chad [4:20pm]: Party pooper._ **

**_Chad [4:21pm]: 2 ur 1st point? She would greatly enjoy the semester w/ some booze._ **

**_Jared [4:23pm]: Ask your own sister._ **

**_Chad [4:24pm]: Ok brother. I will._ **

**_Jared [4:25pm]: Seriously Chad. If you text Megan? I will have to kill you when I see you._ **

**_Jared [4:28pm]: CHAD MICHAEL MURRAY. DO NOT TEXT MEGAN!_ **

**_Jared [4:30pm]: I am going to kill you._ **

**_Chad [4:31pm]: I plead the 5th_ **

**_Jared [4:32pm]: Please tell me you didn’t ask her._ **

**_Chad [4:36pm]: Tequila or Vodka?_ **

**_Jared [4:37pm]: I hate you._ **

Do you have a boyfriend?  
2:30 AM

Jared stared at the too bright screen of his phone and asked himself for the third time since he hit send less than a minute ago, why the hell he asked that question.

It wasn’t like it _mattered_. Jackles was an awesome online friend, one that Jared had come to rely on for moral support over the summer, but his sexual orientation had merely been a coincidence! Another thing for them to connect over! It didn’t change their friendship at all.

Not that his rationalization explained why Jared’s heart was pounding as he stared down at the screen in his hand. He shouldn’t have let Jeff convince him to take that last shot… He hoped that Jackles wouldn’t be weirded out or offended by Jared asking, and if so, he could blame it on his intoxication and in turn, his brother.

He tapped on the screen, waking it back up from its sleep mode, and wondered if he should try to do some damage control before Jackles got a chance to be freaked out or to answer. Just as Jared hit the text box and the keyboard popped up, so did Jackles’ response.

No, actually. I don’t.  
2:40 AM

Do you?  
2:41 AM

No, not right now anyways. I had one at the start of last semester but… things didn’t work out.  
2:43 AM

Ah. Well, I’m sorry to hear that… Unless, of course, you wanted it to end? And in that case, you totally deserve better.  
2:44 AM

LOL  
2:44 AM

Thank you for your support! No, it was definitely my choice but breakups are never easy.  
2:45 AM

Don’t I know that one…  
2:46 AM

Kind of glad I’m currently single, if I were to be honest.  
2:47 AM

Oh yeah?  
2:48 AM 

Yeah.  
2:49 AM

I have to head to bed but…  
2:50 AM

I really enjoy talking to you. Even if you are a moose.  
2:51 AM

I really like talking to you too. Sleep well.  
2:52 AM

You, too, Jared.  
2:53 AM

Jared stared at his screen, his heart pounding even faster than it had been minutes before they’d started talking. He felt warm, all over, and as he plugged in his phone and crawled beneath the covers of his bed with a smile on his face, he realized two things.

The first was that he had a crush on Jackles. He had no clue when it had actually happened… He didn’t know what the guy looked like, could only guess on his age, and –going along with his second realization—he didn’t know his real name.

As Jared closed his eyes and the light from his phone faded to black, he told himself that he would ask Jackles in the morning.

**_Jared [8:42am]: So… can you do me a strange but important favor?_ **

**_Chad [8:44am]: 4 wking me up @ this time it have 2 do w u get laid or ill b 4ced 2 kill u_ **

**_Jared [8:45am]: You’re even more eloquent than usual this early in the morning. I missed that about you…_ **

**_Chad [8:45am]: Power down in 3…2…_ **

**_Jared [8:46am]: Okay, okay!_ **

**_Jared [8:47am]: I need you to ask Jackles something for me._ **

**_Jared [8:48am]: You’re kind of up in everyone’s business and don’t give a shit about personal space. Can you ask him what his name is for me?_ **

**_Chad [8:52am]: What_ **

**_Jared [8:52am]: Scroll up, reread, and say yes._ **

**_Chad [8:53am]: U no we play online 2gether?_ **

**_Jared [8:54am]: Yes…? So, you know him better! All the more reason for you to ask him what his real name is._ **

**_Chad [8:55am]: already no it._ **

**_Jared [8:56am]: You do?! What is it?!_ **

**_Chad [8:56]: Congratz. U officially woke me up. I will tell u on 1 condition_ **

**_Jared [8:57am]: You cannot ask Megan to sneak in booze for you. I won’t budge on that, no matter what._ **

**_Chad [8:57am]: Fuck u! not everything is about booze._ **

**_Chad [8:58am]: Pussy is just as important, if not more, than booze._ **

**_Chad [8:58am]: Which brings me 2 our friend jaaaaaackles._ **

**_Jared [8:59am]: I have no idea how ‘pussy’ relates to Jackles in any way, so please, enlighten me._ **

**_Chad [9:02am]: It’s a very important question im gonna ask n u n I both no if ur not honest. Do u want jackles ass pussy? Not judging, u no me, but I need 2 no._ **

**_Jared [9:03am]: Dude. What the hell kind of question is that?_ **

**_Chad [9:03am]: the kind that gets u the answer ur lookin 4._ **

**_Jared [9:04am]: I don’t even know what Jackles looks like. He could be as hideous as you!_ **

**_Chad [9:05am]: Looks aren’t everything._ **

**_Jared [9:05am]: Wow._ **

**_Jared [9:07am]: I can’t even believe you just said that. YOU, of all people, saying looks don’t matter? I just… I need another moment to process that. What the hell happened to you this summer? What average looking girl has stolen your heart? What the hell are you not telling me?!_ **

**_Chad [9:08am]: Nothing. Just speakin the truth. Do u want 2 talk about me or do u want 2 talk about ur man?_ **

**_Jared [9:09am]: What makes you think I like him?_ **

**_Chad [9:15am]: U talk 2 him daily, u don’t even talk 2 me daily. He tells me u guys talk on dm a lot n have some good conversations n stuff. U have him join us in like most of the convos we have on twitland n u bring him up all the time. Meggie says u talk bout him a lot 2. But the biggest thing that tells me u like him is that if u didn’t u would ask his name urself._ **

**_Jared [9:16am]: That’s not true, I talk to you without bringing him up._ **

**_Chad [9:17am]: do u want jackles ass_ **

**_Jared [9:17am]: Do you have to be so crude all the time?_ **

**_Jared [9:25am]: Fine._ **

**_Jared [9:25am]: Yeah, I think I do like him. Are you happy this middle-school bullshit has gotten me to admit my crush?!_ **

**_Chad [9:26am]: Yeah actually_ **

**_Jared [9:26am]: So? What’s his name?_ **

**_Chad [9:27am]: unfortunately u answere incorrectly n I cant tell u_ **

**_Jared [9:27am]: What?!_ **

**_Jared [9:28am]: What do you mean I answered incorrectly?! I told you!_ **

**_Chad [9:29am]: incorrectly. If u didn’t like him n it didn’t matter id tell u but u do like him n I cant interfere w that. U need 2 ask him urself._ **

**_Jared [9:30am]: You’re a fucking asshole Chad!_ **

**_Chad [9:30am]: Sorry man…_ **

“What if I don’t like my roommate?”

Jared looked up from his place on Megan’s bed to see her standing, looking uncertain, with an old stuffed bear squeezed tightly in her arms. She was running her fingers through the bright pink tuft of hair on the top of its head. He threw his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up, hitting the spot beside him to tell her to sit down.

She moved quickly, sinking down into the spot and settling the stuffed animal on her lap.

“You got your room assignment, right? I thought you emailed your new roommate…”

“Yeah, I did,” Megan agreed quickly, shrugging her shoulders. “She _seems_ really cool. Kind of… too cool?” The last part was muttered and Jared bumped her shoulder gently.

“Well, it’s not hard to be cooler than you, Meg.”

Instead of laughing, his sister’s shoulders fell further and Jared felt guilt immediately pool in his stomach.

“Come on, you know I was kidding…” A small nod. Jared lifted his left hand and scratched the back of his head.

“Meg… listen, I think your roommate is going to love you. From what you’ve said about your emails back and forth? She seems to have a lot in common with you! And if she doesn’t end up liking you?” Jared paused and nudged her again until she looked over at him. “Then that’s okay. You’re going to meet a bunch of people at school, you’re going to be friends with people who commute, who live in other dorms, have other majors… you only have to get along with your roommate, being close with them is a bonus.”

“But what if I can’t get along with her, Jared?” Megan sighed and squashed the bear down in her lap, releasing it so it fluffed back into its normal shape. “What if she hates that I snore? Or what if I brush my teeth annoyingly or she hates The Vampire Diaries!”

Jared laughed and reached over to pick up the bear.

“Megan, you can spend your time worrying about what ifs, but all that’s going to do is drive you crazy. Keep talking to her, get to know her! I bet she’s feeling the same way you are. I felt that way, too, remember?”

Megan nodded and watched as Jared stood and crossed the room to where her suitcase was lying open in front of the closet.

“Yeah… Chad wouldn’t even email you back so you thought he hated you from the start.”

“Exactly, and now look! I couldn’t get rid of Chad even if I tried to pay him.”

Her suitcase was mostly packed, her entire closet emptied and folded neatly, ready for them to take to the airport in the morning. He kneeled and carefully opened the strap to ‘buckle’ the bear in place. When he turned around with a smile, Megan was staring at him with an eyebrow raised.

“Most important thing, Meg? You need to be yourself. That means, you watch The Vampire Diaries and you gush about how _’Damon Salvatore is just the hottest!’_ ” He raised his voice for the last part and was finally rewarded with a smile.

“You put your damn bear on your pillow every night, you brush your teeth like a normal person, you fart and stink up the room after every Taco Tuesday!”

“Gross, Jay! I don’t fart. I’m a _lady_ ,” Megan scoffed, but her smile stayed. Jared laughed and moved back to the bed, plopping down beside her.

“Whatever, ‘toot’ on Taco Tuesday. Better?”

She rolled her eyes and Jared pulled her into a hug.

“You don’t freak out about it until there’s actually something to freak out about, okay? And if she ends up being this horrible human being who has an issue with how you sleep or bathe or talk? Then you come hang out with me and Chad or with the million _other_ friends you’re going to make. Okay?”

Megan nodded and hugged him back.

“Promise if it really, really sucks you’ll make Chad sleep on the floor so I can have his bed?”

Jared barked out a laugh and nodded, kissing the top of her head.

“You got it. I promise.”

**Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** _now_  
**@ChaddasaurusRex** , I promised **@mPad** if things went badly, you would get the floor. **#firsttimestudent #collegeproblems #bestbigbrother**  
  
  


Jared tossed his phone down onto the bed and looked around his room. Most of his clothes were packed, though none of them were folded as neatly or packed as nicely as Megan’s. He had a few bags of random supplies and a tote of bedding and room-décor for both his room and Megan’s waiting in the hallway.

He was excited to get back to school, if for nothing more than to punch Chad for being as insufferable as he was over the last week since the ‘What’s Jackles real name’ conversation. Jared _still_ hadn’t worked up enough courage to actually ask him, despite their conversations becoming more intimate lately.

Jared smiled as he picked up a few things around his desk, shoving them and his laptop into the carrying case. In the morning, all he would have to remember to bring was his phone charger.

His phone pinged and he reached for the light, flicking it off, and pulled his sweats off as he climbed into bed. He reached for the cord laying over his pillow and plugged it in before opening up the notification.

 **Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** _now_  
**@mooseRN** , if **@mPad** has a hot roommie? No 1 will b needing to sleep on the floor.  
  
  


**Megan♥♥** @mPad **·** _now_  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** You're trying to corrupt my roommate?! You don’t even know what she looks like! Or if she likes older guys!  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** _now_  
**@mPad @mooseRN** Details. Details.  
  
  


**Megan♥♥** @mPad **·** _now_  
**@mooseRN** why do you hang out with **@ChaddasaurusRex**? He’s impossible.  
  
  


Jared laughed out loud and heard Megan chuckling from the other side of the wall.

“Go to sleep!” he yelled out and heard Megan laughing louder. He rolled his eyes and looked down as his phone pinged again with a new notification.

 **Megan♥♥** @mPad **·** _now_  
“Go to sleep” he yells, as if **@mooseRN** doesn’t have to be up at the same damn time! **#bigbrothers #gottalovethem #mostly**  
  
  


**Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** _now_  
**@mPad** don’t you mean **#always**?  
  
  


**Megan♥♥** @mPad **·** _now_  
Gross **@mooseRN**. Don’t **#always** me. You’re going to get all the HP fans commenting now. Honestly.  
  
  


**Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** _now_  
**@mPad** You just used your Hermione voice on me, didn’t you?  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** _now_  
**@mPad @mooseRN** Hermione is hot. **#chicksiwouldbang**  
  
  


**Megan♥♥** @mPad **·** _now_  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** You are the most insensitive wart I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet.  
  
  


**Megan♥♥** @mPad **·** _now_  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mooseRN** Oh, I see, so basically you’re going to take the best looking girl who’ll have you even if she’s completely horrible.  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** _now_  
**@mPad @mooseRN** Dude, are u gonna let her talk 2 me like that?  
  
  


**Jared P.** @mooseRN **·** _now_  
**@ChaddasaurusRex @mPad** I’m kind of more concerned that she’s only quoting Hermione to Ron quotes…  
  
  


**Megan♥♥** @mPad **·** _now_  
**@mooseRN @ChaddasaurusRex** EWWWWWWWWWWWW WTF JARED  
  
  


**Chadmeister** @ChaddasaurusRex **·** _now_  
**@mooseRN @mPad** Well… ur sisters pretty hot…  
  
  


**Megan♥♥** @mPad **·** _now_  
**@ChaddasaurusRex** EWWWWWWWWWWWW Mission accomplished **@mooseRN**! I AM GOING TO BED  
  
  


Please tell me that you and your sister are tweeting each other from one room over.  
10:30 PM

And I’m pretty sure she’s going to kill you in the morning.  
10:31 PM

Hahaha yeah, we are. I had her laughing through the wall earlier… but she is definitely not going to be impressed about the Hermione/Ron comment… Mostly because I’m 99% sure she had a crush on Chad during my first year of school.  
10:35 PM

Oh yeah, she’s definitely going to kill you then!!  
10:36 PM

Well, it was nice knowing you…  
10:36 PM

:(  
10:37 PM

I’ll have to plead your case then. She’s not allowed to kill you, only maim you.  
10:38 PM

Oh thanks! Haha she might go for that…  
10:38 PM

Good! Haha.  
10:39 PM

Naw, I don’t want her to maim you either…  
10:40 PM

Well aren’t you sweet :)  
10:40 PM

I try!!  
10:42 PM

So how did packing go today? Did you get everything done? I was going to message you earlier but I was worried I would distract you and then you would be too stressed to get it all done later tonight…  
10:44 PM

No, you wouldn’t have bothered me if you messaged me! But I did get everything done. We went out for some last minute shopping to get new toiletries and all that. Megan had a slight mental breakdown earlier about wondering if her roommate was going to like her or not…  
10:46 PM

That’s always the most stressful part about starting a new semester I think… worrying about your roommate first and then wondering if your professor is going to end up being a total hard ass or not. I don’t miss school one bit lol  
10:47 PM

Yeah, that’s why I’m glad Chad and I were able to get a place together. We actually sprung for an apartment off campus. I am using my loans to cover housing. I was slightly worried about trying to work through the semester so I am glad I was approved for that. Megan is going to be just fine… she’s always been the more popular one, and the kid’s never had any problems making friends ever in her life! I can’t even start to think about my teachers yet… This semester is mostly cardiac which is both exciting and terrifying. There’s apparently going to be a new teacher or two too…  
10:50 PM

Yeah, that is nice. Plus, living off campus totally has its perks. I can only imagine how Chad is when he’s living in the dorms… However, living off campus means you’re going to have to figure out how to make some of your own meals. So why is cardiac terrifying? As your favorite cardiac nurse, I can help you! Though I can completely understand the fear of the unknown… new professors are definitely hit or miss, but I have my fingers crossed they’ll be ‘hits’.  
10:52 PM

Chad is actually a really good cook, surprisingly. Because of my clinical schedule I’ll be eating most of my dinners at the hospital. I am excited to have my own space though, and to have space that doesn’t include sharing a bedroom with Chad. If Megan truly does end up having problems, the place is already furnished and I’m sure there’s a couch there that she could crash on.  
10:54 PM

Cardiac is just… scary in the sense that it can be serious. Like, what if I mess something up? What if I misread a lab level or give a BP med when I shouldn’t and then someone goes into cardiac arrest?  
10:56 PM

Lol. Well, take comfort in the fact that right now you’re a student and every single person—the RN that’s actually assigned to the patient as well as your clinical instructor—is going to be watching your every move. You will not be able to give a high risk medication without someone approving it with you. And on a cardiac floor, vitals are done more frequently and people are usually on tele.  
10:58 PM

You will not kill someone, Jared. I promise you that. God forbid a patient you are assigned to ends up in cardiac arrest, it will not be your fault in the slightest. Even if you’re doing assessments, the assigned RN will be too.  
10:59 PM

And I think it’s awesome that you’re going to have a furnished place. That’s much better than what I had with my first apartment!  
10:59 PM

I know… rationally I know that. But still. It IS nerve wracking when you’re taking care of a more critical patient. I feel like I have barely scratched the surface in my nursing skills… I spend more time asking myself WTF and feeling insecure than I do feeling confident.  
11:00 PM

Unfortunately, that’s just part of nursing school… It makes you doubt yourself while you’re given a multitude of information to process. But you’re not stupid. You wouldn’t BE in nursing school or have gotten this far if you were. You have to trust in yourself that your clinical instructor is aware of your skills and your knowledge and that they’re there to help you and push you, but not further than you’re ready for. Every professor, even if they don’t seem like it, wants you to be successful.  
11:03 PM

And I want you to succeed too. I know we haven’t known each other that long but… I can tell you’re going to be a great nurse. You’re compassionate and smart, you’re funny and loyal. You CARE and that’s what really matters. The book stuff is important, but it’s not nearly as important as the way you treat people. I have enjoyed talking to you, reading your interactions with Chad and Megan and random people all over your twitter… You’re just… a good person, Jared. And you can do this, you will do this, and I will help you in whatever way that I can.  
11:05 PM

You really know how to make a guy blush…  
11:06 PM

Thank you, really. I just… I screen shotted that, actually, so that I can go back and remind myself whenever I start feeling crappy. I am really, really glad that I met you.  
11:07 PM

And God, I am so sick of calling you Jackles in my head!  
11:08 PM

Jensen :)  
11:08 PM

Go to sleep Jared, and have a safe flight tomorrow. Sleep well :)  
11:09 PM

You too, Jensen. Sweet dreams.  
11:10 PM

“Jensen,” Jared whispered and smiled as he clicked his phone off and settled back into the covers, falling asleep with a smile on his face.


	3. Chapter 3

“I am going to kill you, Chad!” Jared groaned as he collapsed onto the beaten up couch in their living room, his backpack slipping from his left shoulder and falling to the ground with a loud thud from the weight of his textbook.

“You’re the one that told me you couldn’t stop staring at your teacher,” Chad snorted back, dropping his own textbooks onto the table and kicking his boots off. “I think what you said was, ‘It’s going to be seriously hard to concentrate in this course with honest-to-God eye candy teaching me, Chad!’”

“I am going to _murder_ you.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell Jackles you’ve got the hots for your cardiac professor.”

Jared shot off the couch and turned quickly to see Chad ducking into the kitchen. He sighed and flopped back down, jerking his backpack up into his lap.

“See if I tell you anything in confidence ever again…” Jared muttered as he fished out his notebook and a pack of flashcards to start re-writing his lecture notes from that morning.

From the kitchen, the noises of pots and pans being banged around could be heard and Jared forced himself to look back down at his notes, satisfied that Chad was busy for the moment and wouldn’t be ribbing him until dinner was at least halfway made.

He was wrong, of course, because just as he started writing ‘SINOATRIAL NODE – SA NODE’ across the top of a note card, Chad popped his head back into the living room.

“Do you really think your Twitter boyfriend would care if you found some professor hot? Jensen doesn’t really come across as the jealous type to me… we could always see, though…”

Jared turned his head around and pinned Chad with a glare.

“Hey, it’s important to know if your boyfriend is secretly a jealous psychopath.”

“He’s… he’s not my boyfriend, Chad,” Jared answered with a sigh and saw Chad swallow back a laugh.

“Right, he’s not your boyfriend because there’s no such thing as ‘online relationships’? Well, whatever you want to define yourselves as is your business, but we both know you’ve got the hots for one another.” Chad waited another beat before he shrugged and said, “Well, if he’s _not_ your boyfriend, maybe Professor McHotstuff can be your boyfriend.”

“I am ignoring you now.” Jared turned back around, slamming his back against the couch in a final attempt to end the conversation they’d been having since lunch that afternoon.

“Isn’t it funny you have a thing for cardiac nurses? Didn’t figure you to ever have a type…” Chad tapped his foot against the floor and started musing to himself loudly when Jared stayed quiet. “I bet Jensen would be jealous over _that_ fact. You can tell him your professor is a babe, but don’t tell him you found a different cardiac nurse to learn… new skills from.”

“If you don’t shut up and make me dinner, I am going to go to the library to study.”

“Yes, honey. But don’t tell Jackles or Professor McHotstuff that I make dinner for you. They’ll know there’s no competition when you’re compared to the Chadmeister.”

Jared grit his teeth and held back an answer, finally silencing Chad as well.

Hey! How’s school going?  
2:43 PM

It’s going… I had almost forgotten how much work there was.  
2:43 PM

Almost.  
2:44 PM

Haha snuck back up on you, huh? How’s cardiac going?  
2:45 PM

It’s going really well I think… I am really enjoying it. The cardiac professor is a little different, he’s younger than the rest of the professors in the program, but I like his teaching style. He has definitely made it less intimidating.  
2:46 PM

In tandem with the cardiac, we have psych classes, too. We are learning psychological disorders and psych nursing which is… still 110% intimidating. I find it interesting, but I already know I am not a psych nurse.  
2:47 PM

Well, and this could be biased, but cardiac nurses are the best kinds of nurses so it’s not surprising your cardiac professor is awesome.  
2:48 PM

It takes a special kind of person to be a psych nurse… I always found psychological disorders to be fascinating as long as they were down on paper. But I never had the patience or the drive to actually be a psych nurse. It was too… open ended? With cardiac, I know the rules, I know what should happen and what shouldn’t happen, and I know what will happen when something goes wrong. Compared to psych, cardiac is very black and white.  
2:50 PM

However, psych is probably the most undervalued and underappreciated practice. The mental health system is surrounded with such a stigma… and it’s so important. Mental disease affects everyone, through one maybe two degrees. Hell, I would bet you that every single college student in America suffered from some sort of anxiety disorder, even if just temporary. People find shame in asking for help and it trickles into every other type of nursing-- a cardiac patient who ignored their symptoms because they were confused with anxiety. A GI patient who was struggling with an eating disorder and missed glaring red signs that something else was going on. I could go on and on, and some may be extremes, but it’s so true.  
2:55 PM

Well, Jensen, that was quite passionate.  
2:56 PM

Shut up. Now I’m embarrassed that I rambled.  
2:56 PM

No, no, I was just kidding.  
2:57 PM

I completely agree with you. Also, the psych professor we had today was actually quite passionate about it too. I really enjoyed listening to him. I think he completely fits into the stereotype of ‘psych nurse’ but he had all of us involved in our lecture. I am hoping that he will be my clinical instructor for my psych rotation…  
3:00 PM

That’s good! A subject is always better when you have a good teacher. So are you starting a cardiac rotation first then? Have you only met your psych and cardiac professors?  
3:01 PM

No, I met two other professors who lectured on pain management and just general welcome to nursing, try not to fail this semester. And yeah, cardiac rotation is first. I’m pretty excited about it. Plus, we’re not allowed to pass meds or do assessments in the psych rotation… Is that normal?  
3:02 PM

Yeah that’s pretty standard. When I was a student we just focused on therapeutic communication and it was almost like… a few hours of hangout time? We were supposed to ‘interview’ the patients as best as we could and then write up our experiences. It was the most writing I think I did in nursing school, other than a complete Care Plan. But because of the nature of psychiatric facilities, patients don’t have to take meds, they don’t have to participate, they don’t have to do anything and they tend to know how to manipulate the students.  
3:04 PM

It’s safer for them and for you to have the staff attend to them and just have the students there as company. Plus, it’s totally not boring. I learned a whole hell of a lot on my psych rotation…  
3:05 PM

I am both excited and terrified for it, to be completely honest.  
3:06 PM

Haha you’ll be just fine :)  
3:06 PM

What are you up to right now?  
3:07 PM

Well, I am enjoying the last few minutes of silence I have in my apartment before Chad comes bursting through the door. He has a late class today. Since clinical hasn’t started up yet, I actually have the next two days free!  
3:08 PM

Wow!  
3:08 PM

So are you going to catch up on all the sleep you’re going to be missing over the semester? :P  
3:08 PM

Naw, I would much rather talk to you…  
3:09 PM

:D  
3:09 PM

Well, I am a fan of that idea.  
3:10 PM

Jared smiled down at the screen and settled himself more comfortably on the couch, drawing his legs up to tuck underneath him. There was an excited, warm bubble rising through his chest as he typed back, asking Jensen (he still thought that was one of the best names he’d ever heard) what his plans were for the rest of the week.

He hadn’t even realized how much time had passed until Chad came flinging himself through the door, cackling loudly with one of the girls he used to bring around the year before. Jared looked at the top bar of his phone and gave a short laugh.

Chad just walked in so it may take me a bit to respond. He’s insufferable about 85% of the time, and that is being generous.  
5:26 PM

That’s okay, I completely understand. My best friend Mish, I think I told you about him? He’s been bugging me for about 45 minutes now to go get some dinner with him. I told him earlier this morning we could grab something tonight. Oops.  
5:28 PM

Well, we can’t have you starving your friends now… He’ll get fed up and bring dinner to you instead, and you know he’ll get something loaded with green beans.  
5:29 PM

God, that made me shudder. That, out of every other reason, is why I am going to say goodbye. He totally WOULD bring me a green bean dish.  
5:30 PM

Well, I promise if we ever get a meal together, we will get something without them or I’ll just have to save you from them all.  
5:32 PM

You’re my hero! <3  
5:33 PM

LOL Go get dinner.  
5:33 PM

I have to go iron my cape anyways.  
5:34 PM

Hahaha! Sounds like a plan.  
5:34 PM

I’ll message you again later.  
5:35 PM

“You remember, Jared.” Jared looked up at Chad who was still standing in the doorway with his arm around… Marissa? Miranda? Macie? “Jared, you remember Gen?”

Right. He was kind of close…

Jared nodded and dropped his phone to the small coffee table and stood up to hold out his hand for the small brunette.

“Nice to see you again, Gen,” Jared smiled at her as she shook his hand in greeting and beamed back.

“You, too, Jared. It’s been a while.”

Behind her, Chad rolled his eyes. “Well, yeah, Gen. It’s been at least an entire summer.”

Jared had to bite back the laugh at the expression that crossed her face.

“Chad,” he sighed out. “I don’t know why you hang out with him.”

“Despite his less than desirable social skills, the guy’s a genius when it comes to geochemistry and I am hoping he’s just as smart with oceanography.”

Jared raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly while a huge smile broke out across his friend’s face.

“Come on, Gen. Oceanography is mostly just trophodynamics and zooplankton ecology. The rest is just ecosystem crap… mostly.” Chad shrugged his shoulder and threw Jared a look.

“Yeah, exactly, sounds super easy,” he offered and received a smile from Gen for trying. “Well, I’ll let you guys study… I should probably do some of that myself anyways.”

“Right, as if you weren’t just talking to your boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?” Gen asked, a look of confusion crossing her face as she looked between the two of them.

“He’s delusional,” Jared replied, plopping back down on the couch and reaching for his psychology textbook. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“He just wishes he was,” Chad muttered and started moving past the couch to the dining room.

“Oh,” Gen replied softly and Jared could feel her eyes on the back of his head.

He didn’t feel the need to correct them.

Talk to me.  
9:45 PM

About ANYTHING that is not nursing related.  
9:45 PM

Like, I don’t even care what. Your bathroom habits, what you ate for dinner, how you’re feeling right now.  
9:46 PM

GOD DAMNIT  
9:46 PM

It fucking sounds like I am trying to do an assessment on you. How’re your bowel habits? Your nutritional intake? Your mental health?  
9:47 PM

I can’t. Fucking. Escape.  
9:48 PM

Hello, Jared. I would ask you how you’re doing tonight… but I am going to guess the answer is extremely stressed.  
9:49 PM

Yeah. Just a bit.  
9:49 PM

Do you want to talk about it? Cause I can totally start talking about something else… Like, I can tell you about the ridiculous episode of Naked and Afraid I just watched. It was a complete waste of the last forty minutes. OR I could tell you about the date my friend Misha went on this past weekend, it was a complete nightmare for him and I am still laughing about it today. Or… we could talk about why you’re feeling stressed, if you want.  
9:51 PM

I am just… feeling overwhelmed already. I started my clinical this week on a cardiac floor and my instructor isn’t as cool as I thought he would be. He’s kind of an asshole.  
9:52 PM

:(  
9:52 PM

Is this the young one you liked? I’m sorry he’s an asshole… what happened?  
9:53 PM

He just… I don’t know. He’s just short with me and I don’t know what I did to deserve it. We did the whole, ‘let’s get to know everyone in our clinical group’ on the first day and he had an issue with me living on my own instead of in the dorms. Made some crappy offhand comment about it and like, since then he’s been determined to push me to try to get me to break or something like that.  
9:56 PM

What does it matter if you live on your own and not in the dorms? I mean there are plenty of students that successfully have apartments and live off of campus… I did it for my senior year…  
9:57 PM

Yeah, well, I’m not in my senior year and I think he is just assuming I’m working too? He hasn’t even seen any of my grades yet! He’s totally judging me.  
9:58 PM

I’m sorry, Jay… I don’t know how to make that any better. Unfortunately, a professor is going to judge their students until they get to know them. It’s part of human nature AND as a nurse, that’s what we do anyways. I mean, think of it… when we ask someone how many cigarettes they smoke a day or how many drinks they have a week, we automatically times them by three. In this field we think the worst of people. But I bet he just wants to push everyone in the group and maybe, the fact that he’s pushing you so hard so early, is because he believes in your potential.  
10:01 PM

Or he finds me irritating because I am the only male student in his group and he thinks I’m going to try to get into the seven other girls’ pants.  
10:02 PM

I should tell him I would be more interested in getting into HIS pants if he wasn’t such a fucking douche.  
10:02 PM

Lol yeah, I do not advise going that route.  
10:03 PM

Well, duh. I definitely wouldn’t tell him that.  
10:04 PM

If I called him a douche I would get in trouble.  
10:04 PM

Haha I don’t think I’ve ever heard you swear so much!  
10:05 PM

In all seriousness though… just, one day at a time, okay? You just have a few weeks with him before you switch to your next clinical rotation, right? You just have to get through this. You’ll figure him out soon enough and know what he expects and what to avoid with him.  
10:07 PM

You’re smart, you’ll get through it.  
10:07 PM

Yeah, I hope so… I think I have him for eight weeks? He just… I don’t know. I hope that he backs off a bit…  
10:18 PM

Do you think it’s something you should talk to him about?  
10:19 PM

God, no. I think that would only make it worse… I’ll just take it one clinical at a time. I just wish I had some feedback from other students of his so that I could know what to look out for. You know? Every professor has different quirks, and I want to make sure I do the things he’s looking for.  
10:20 PM

Well, in my experience you usually figure out the professor pretty quickly.  
10:21 PM

I am not sure if I should take comfort in that or not.  
10:22 PM

At the very least you will have me to vent to. And really, what else could you need?  
10:23 PM

A hug is what I need right about now…  
10:23 PM

*HUGS*  
10:24 PM

Wish I could give you a real one… but cyber hug is all I’ve got.  
10:24 PM

It’s perfect.  
10:25 PM

Thank you, Jensen. *hugs*  
10:25 PM


	4. Chapter 4

“Dude… you look like someone killed your puppy.” Chad threw himself down on the end of Jared’s bed, bouncing them both and nearly cracking their heads together. He looked over at Jared who was upside down on the bed, his feet propped up against the wall above his pillow. “You’re sitting in the dark, dude.”

“Yeah,” Jared muttered back, letting his eyes fall closed. “Just… tired.”

“So,” Chad said, drawing out the word slowly, “why don’t you sleep?”

“I have homework.”

There was a moment of silence before Chad snorted. “Well, hate to break it to you J-man, but this isn’t helping you do homework any more than taking a nap would.”

“Yeah, I know. Somehow, it feels less like blowing it off than it would if I took a nap though,” Jared answered back with a shrug and then sighed, opening his eyes again to look over at Chad. “I do look pretty pathetic right now, don’t I?”

“Slightly. But I completely understand. Dude, that fucking Professor Bitch gave us six chapters to read by next week. Have you seen my ground hydrology text book? Fucker is six-hundred pages and pretty much only ten chapters.” Chad rolled his eyes and gave a rough sigh. “These teachers are fucking crazy.”

“Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure Professor Ackles hates me.” Jared bit his lower lip and shook his head. “I don’t know… Jensen told me that maybe he sees potential in me or some shit and he’s just pushing me. But, like, could he find potential in one of the girls? I don’t need his pushing.”

Chad shrugged his shoulders, the movement jostling Jared. “Dude, you know what you do? You bust your fucking ass and shove it in his face that you are damn good, whether he’s pushing you or hating on you. I mean, prove him wrong, either that you can handle his pushing or that you don’t need him to be successful.”

“Yeah,” Jared nodded, “He gave me the first care plan out of the group… even though two other girls offered to go first. He only did that because he overheard me complaining about your impromptu party last weekend. I think he thought it was a party-party and not a nerd-fest of hydrology majors testing fifteen different water samples from the city.”

“Dude, do not drink water from Wildcat Stadium. We learned very important information at that ‘H2O Party’.”

Jared smirked and shook his head and the pair fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes.

“Dude, you know it couldn’t get any gayer than the two of us laying in your bed in the dark.” Chad broke the silence and Jared found himself smiling for the first time that day.

“I could have my dick up your ass. That would definitely be gayer.”

“Dude! I would _so_ be a top. Look at me!” Chad swung his legs off the bed and bent over, shoving his ass near Jared’s face. “This ass is too perfect to bottom. Anyone trying would blow their load before they could even _touch_ me.”

“You are so ridiculous,” Jared laughed, slapping Chad’s ass hard.

“Fuck! That actually hurt, Jay!” Chad hissed, leaping forward and rubbing his right ass cheek, looking perfectly offended in a sliver of light that came in from the hallway. “See if I ever offer up my services to you ever again.”

“Get out, Chad,” Jared laughed, settling himself the right way on the bed and reaching over for the lamp. “I’m going to start working on this thing…”

“Yeah, yeah,” Chad rolled his eyes and walked into the hallway. “When you get hungry, I want to go to the Wildcatessen. I want a steak bomb so bad.”

“Yeah, okay,” Jared called back as he listened to Chad’s socked feet disappear down the hall and into his own room. He looked down at his laptop and reached down to pick it up, pulling it open and onto his lap in one movement. “Alright, let’s do this…”

*

Jared rubbed at his eyes and glanced down at the clock at the bottom of the screen. He’d been working on his care plan for four hours now and knew that Chad was probably minutes from breaking down his door to drag him out for dinner.

Sighing, Jared pulled up the internet and opened his direct message threads.

Okay, so… you had to do care plans in school right?  
7:54 PM

And I really hope your answer is yes, because I am dying here.  
7:55 PM

Yeah, I did. I hated them… but they did kind of come in handy…  
7:55 PM

Yes, tell me they’re super important and not a complete waste of my time.  
7:56 PM

They are SUPER important and totally not a waste of your time. :)  
7:57 PM

I appreciate the additions there.  
7:57 PM

Haha you’re welcome.  
7:58 PM

So what’s up?  
7:58 PM

Well… every professor is different in what they look for in care plans and since this is my first one with this new professor I am completely over thinking things. I just… tell me this is okay?  
7:59 PM

Okay, hit me!  
8:00 PM

Okay, bear with me, I’m going to try to copy and paste…  
8:01 PM

So female patient, 35 years old, admitted with chest pain.  
8:01 PM

Past Medical History / Comorbidities:  
1\. Congestive Heart Failure  
2\. Hypertension  
3\. Hypothyroidism  
4\. Depression  
5\. Anxiety  
6\. Bipolar Disorder  
7\. Suicidal Ideation  
8\. Insomnia  
9\. TIA  
10\. Carpel Tunnel  
11\. Small Bowel Obstruction  
12\. Hearing Loss  
13\. Neurodermatits  
14\. Sicca Syndrome  
15\. Tubal Litigation  
16\. Hysterectomy  
17\. Bilateral Knee Replacement  
18\. Cholecystectomy  
19\. Bilateral Kidney Stents  
20\. Renal Failure Stage III  
8:02 PM

And I did this for her treatments… Do I need anymore?  
1\. Ambulate Patient TID as tolerated  
2\. Orthostatic Vital Signs Q12hours  
3\. Anti-embolism stockings  
4\. Cardiac Monitor  
5\. O2 Therapy – titrate to saturation >92%. <92% initiate 1-6L of O2.  
6\. Anticoagulation Therapy  
7\. TEE (Scheduled 4/7/2016)  
8\. ECG with chest pain  
8:03 PM

Well… I would put the treatments in order of importance. I am assuming the patient is on a cardiac floor? So telemonitoring is going to go above ambulation. Then anticoagulation therapy and TEDs… I think the ECG with chest pain should be at least above the ECG…  
8:05 PM

Okay, yeah, that makes sense. Thank you :)  
8:06 PM

Did you have to do a full set of Gordons?  
8:07 PM

Yeah… though I will admit I got some of the stuff from the chart.  
8:08 PM

I mean, sometimes it’s just not plausible to get your patient to answer all of your eight hundred questions while your professor is quizzing you and pulling you out of the room for meds and to see treatments and while your patient is actually a patient and has REAL nurses to deal with.  
8:09 PM

Hey, just because you’re a student, that doesn’t mean you’re not important! You ARE a nurse, too. You have to start thinking that way.  
8:10 PM

Yeah… I know…  
8:10 PM

Okay, I was fine with my Gordon’s piece but… God help me. The nursing diagnosis thing makes me mental.  
8:11 PM

LOL Do you have a Doenges Nurse’s Pocket Guide?  
8:12 PM

YES! I do.  
8:12 PM

Okay, perfect. The piece that you can take out? THAT is what will be your best friend for nursing diagnoses. What do you have right now?  
8:13 PM

I have… Ineffective Health Management R/T inability to make appropriate judgements M/B risk taking behavior, decreased use of social support, inability to meet basic needs, high illness rate, and destructive behavior toward self.  
8:15 PM

And my desired outcome is… Patient will teach back signs and symptoms of negative cardiac manifestations such as increased/sudden chest pain, sudden weight gain of 3lbs in a day or 5 pounds in a week, and increased heart rate/blood pressure by 1300 October 6th 2016.  
8:16 PM

I am assuming there’s a reason why you chose destructive behavior towards self and inability to make appropriate judgements?  
8:17 PM

Yeah she has a history of suicidal ideation, refused to go to the hospital because she didn’t want to burden her children, refuses to eat at home, feels depressed, etc.  
8:18 PM

Okay, then no, I think that sounds great. That is actually a pretty complete nursing diagnoses. I don’t know what you’re worried about :)  
8:19 PM

THANK GOD. I could kiss you right now. Thank you soooooo much.  
8:19 PM

You just made me feel like a million times better.  
8:20 PM

That’s what I’m here for :)  
8:20 PM

Go get something to eat Jared… you’ve been working hard.  
8:21 PM

And before you think I’m a freak… Chad just messaged me and told me to make you get your ass up and feed him a ‘damn steak bomb, bitch’. Totally his words, not mine.  
8:22 PM

hahaha yeah, I can hear him calling for me now.  
8:22 PM

Okay, thanks Jensen. I will message you later, or if I come home and crash, I’ll message you tomorrow!!  
8:23 PM

Have a good night, Jared.  
8:23 PM

“Alright, so we know that the left and right coronary arteries supply the ventricles with blood, correct? Well, these are the major arteries that are affected by coronary artery disease. This, of course, could cause ischemia to the ventricular walls. Injury is more common in the left ventricular tissues.”

Jared scribbled away, his eyes flicking back and forth from his notebook in front of him and the large projected PowerPoint at the front. Professor Ackles was pacing the front of the room, the small clicker in his right hand almost echoing throughout the lecture hall over the sound of scratching pens and flipping papers.

“So, quick review. The left ventricle pumps into the aorta which provides which type of circulation?”

There was a soft mumble from the front of the class and Jared glanced up just in time to see their professor smile and nod his head.

“Correct. The left ventricle pumps blood into systemic circulation which, of course, brings blood to all of our tissues and organs. The right ventricle pumps into the pulmonary artery which provides pulmonary circulation. Any questions?” He waited a pause and Jared blew out a breath as he finished writing.

**(L) Ventricle à Aorta – systemic || (R) Ventricle à Pulmonary – pulmonary**

“Alright, now has anyone here heard the term ‘cardiac output’? On the cardiac floors, you’re going to be hearing the nurses and providers talking about it often. Your cardiac output is the volume of blood being pumped into the circulatory system. Heart rate multiplied by stroke volume per minute.”

“So… blood pressure?” a girl from the front asked and Jared paused, his pen hovering above the page.

“Not exactly,” Professor Ackles replied. “Anything that affects the stroke volume will affect the blood pressure, so lower cardiac output would result in a lowered blood pressure, but they are not the same thing.”

Jared followed along the rests of the lecture, writing diligently and filling sixteen pages over the course of three hours. When Professor Ackles finally dismissed them, Jared took his time packing up his notebook and laptop and pulled his printed care plan from his bag.

“Um, Professor Ackles?” Jared asked as he neared the front and they were two of the last people in the room. “I know that you said I didn’t have to have this in until Friday but… I wanted to see if you could take a peek at it, in case there needs to be any changes or corrections, before Friday?”

He held the care plan out and Professor Ackles looked down at it and then up at Jared as he accepted it from him with a nod.

“Is it complete?” he asked, flipping through the first few pages.

Jared nodded, swallowing once as he was hit with how freaking green his professor’s eyes were. The older man leaned against the edge of the desk, starting to read the document, and Jared felt his stomach flip. There was no way he could stand here while his professor tore this thing apart…

Carefully, Jared reached into his pocket and texted Chad behind his hip.

**_Jared [11:58am]: Come. Save. Me._ **

**_Chad [11:59am]: OMW!!!!!!!!_ **

Professor Ackles cleared his throat once, shifting against the desk but flipped the page and fell back into silence. Jared was sure he could hear the beating of his heart in the now silent lecture hall and he prayed that Chad would get there quickly…

“JARED!” Both Jared, despite knowing Chad would be coming, and Professor Ackles jumped as the lecture hall door was slammed open, the metal bar crashing against the wall. “DUDE. I am having a legit crisis right now! I am about ninety percent sure the girl from last night gave me the herpes and as my best nurse friend, I need you to check out my balls!”

Jared stared. Chad was leaning against the door, breathing hard, but Jared could see the smile playing at the edge of his lips. Beside him, Professor Ackles shifted again and laid the care plan down on the desk.

“Um, Professor…” Jared interjected quickly before Chad got in trouble. He wasn’t sure if he _could_ get in trouble for bursting into an empty class and being an ass, but he wasn’t willing to test that theory. “This is my roommate, Chad.”

Professor Ackles nodded his head and they watched as Chad moved closer to them, giving a small shrug of his shoulders as he extended his hand with a “Sup, Professor.”

Jared rolled his eyes and watched as his teacher hesitated only a moment before reaching forward and accepting Chad’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Chad. Though… probably would have been best under some… less dire circumstances.”

Jared opened his mouth again, because God only knew that Chad would actually start talking about his balls, but his friend beat him to it.

“Dude!” Chad stared at Professor Ackles for a moment, his eyes narrowed, and then it was like a lightbulb went off. “You sound just like... Jackles!! You’re fucking Jackles!” Chad shook Professor Ackles’ hand even harder, then to Jared’s horror, pulled his professor forward and into a hug, back slapping included. “You sound just like you do over the headset man! And you kicked my fucking _ass_ on Sunday night!”

Jared didn’t get it. Professor Ackles’ eyes widened for a fraction of a second, then the other man laughed, a genuine, freeing laugh that Jared had yet to hear in the month he’d had lecture and clinical with the man.

“Chadmeister. Jesus… Well, maybe if you hadn’t gotten the shittiest weapon in the history of weapons!”

Jared stood, frozen. They knew each other, they knew each other because—

“So, Jared,” Profesor Ackles said and Jared could feel the blush already rising to his cheeks. “That means that you must be ‘MooseRN’?”

Everything clicked into place. The bases were loaded and he felt the air escape his lungs as Chad drove it home. “Oh fuck, so does that mean Jackles is the hot asshole professor you kinda wanna bone _and_ your Twitter boyfriend?”

Chad snorted and Jared was done.

Without responding, Jared hiked his backpack higher onto his shoulder and turned away from them, leaving his care plan behind. He booked it to the door that was still open wide, thanks to Chad slamming it into the wall, and disappeared into the growing crowd of students.

His heart was racing, he could hear it beating stupidly fast, almost echoing in his head, and he could vaguely hear his name being called from behind him. He didn’t know if it was Professor Ackles—fucking ‘Jackles’, _Jensen_ , how the hell had he missed the fact that his online friend was his in-life teacher?!—or Chad. But it didn’t matter, either way, he couldn’t take one of them catching up to him.

There was a gap in the students just ahead and Jared strode into it, immediately switching directions and taking off down a side hall. He ducked slightly and booked it forward until he was at the side door of the building and shoved all of his weight against the door to escape into the cool fall air.

He stood there for a second, looking around campus, before he made his decision.

**_Chad [1:22pm]: Dude, please answer me…_ **

**_Chad [1:22pm]: If u don’t answer me im gonna give Jensen ur #_ **

**_Chad [1:23pm]: kidding, kidding, that was prolly a bad joke._ **

**_Chad [1:24pm]: come on J… where r u? y rnt u home?_ **

Jared stared down at the next barrage of texts Chad was sending him and sighed, leaning his head back against the dorm door. He had six missed calls and countless unanswered texts. Part of him wondered if he would have any direct messages waiting for him, too, and that was the exact reason why he deleted his twitter app from his phone.

He didn’t need to know.

He could only imagine what they would say, and he already felt more than stupid enough…

“Fuck…” he whispered, pulling his knees against his chest and leaning forward to rest his forehead against his knees.

“Jared?” Jared’s head shot up and he breathed out a sigh of relief.

“God, please open the door. I need ice cream and to talk.”

Megan nodded once, reaching to the front of her backpack and pulling out her keys to unlock her dorm room. She held it open and waited for Jared to push himself up from the floor and shut the door behind them as Jared threw himself face down on her bed.

“Um… Stupid question,” Megan said quietly from behind him as she moved around the room. He heard something thump onto the ground and the squeak of her computer chair before there was a dip by his hip. He turned his head and looked down at her socked feet pressing against his leg. “Are you okay?”

“I am so far from okay,” he answered, burying his face back into the pillow.

“Okay, I can see that.” She paused, nudging him gently. “I don't know what type of ice cream this qualifies for, so why don't you tell me what's up.”

“Rocky Road, Meg. This is a Rocky Road situation.”

Megan snorted but her feet were gone for a moment. “I highly doubt it's a rocky road, Jay… I mean, do you even remember the Ice Cream Disaster Code? ICDC Rocky Road would mean that--”

“I met Jackles today, Megan. I met him in my classroom because my online boyfriend that I've been bitching to about my sexy, asshole professor is actually said sexy, asshole professor!” Jared groaned into the pillow before leaning up and turning towards her.

“And,” he exploded, sitting up suddenly, “Chad, of course, had to make it a _million_ times worse by pointing it out in the most… the most… the most fucking Chad-like way possible!”

“Well…” Megan started slowly, twisting two metal spoons in her hand as she leaned down to the mini fridge. “I mean…” She stopped and then shook her head as she reached into the freezer section and pulled out a Ben and Jerry’s pint of Rocky Road. “Yeah, I got nothing. That's pretty damn bad… You actually called your professor an asshole to his face?”

“Well, not to his face, exactly,” Jared mumbled and caught the spoon she tossed to him. He accepted the ice cream and wrenched the cover off before scraping a thin layer of chocolate off the top. He shoved the spoon into his mouth and let it melt for a moment before he added, “it was on Twitter.”

“Yeah,” Megan laughed, digging into the marshmallow vein Jared had uncovered and taking a large scoop. “That makes it so much better.”

Jared glared at her and held the pint out of reach as he dug in again. Just as the spoon hit his tongue, his eyes widened. “Oh my God. He’s pictured me in my underwear!”

“Okay, you lost me. What on Earth are you talking about?”

“He told me once,” he started explaining around the spoon and Megan reached forward to pull it from his mouth, both of them wincing as the metal clanged against his teeth. She whispered sorry and then pointed it at his face expectantly for him to continue.

“He told me once that he imagines every group of people he was taking to in their underwear to make him less nervous about being the center of attention. And I always sat in the front row, so it was my underwear he was imagining!”

Megan stared at him for a minute, her expression thoughtful. “I wonder if he pictured you in whitie tighties or boxers…”

“Megan! That's what you have to say?”

She shrugged once, handing him back the spoon and motioning with her hand for him to bring the pint closer so she could grab another bite. “Well,” she said after she swallowed, “I guess what I really want to say is… How the hell did you not know before now?”

“How was I supposed to know?” Jared asked, shaking his head.

“Um, well, how did it _not_ come up where you went to school? Or hell, Jay, that you were even in the same state?” She stared at him and he shrugged, reaching forward to put his spoon on her desk. “Okay, how did you not know he was a nursing professor?”

“I just… didn't. We never really talked about what he did.” Jared thought for a moment, trying to remember if Jensen had ever said anything about teaching. “I knew he was a cardiac nurse, and he knew I was a student, but it never came up _where_. I mean, you don't just tell online people where you live, Megan.”

“Don't you dare ‘first rule of internet safety’ me, Jared. You've been talking to this guy since when, May? I mean, that's more than just a random internet stranger.”

Jared rolled his eyes at her and avoided her gaze.

“Okay, whatever, so you completely suck at making friends and having simple conversations.”

"Hey!" Jared shot back, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall. "We talked about a lot of shit, okay? I really... I really thought I knew him. Just because I didn't know what his current job was or where he lives doesn't mean we weren't friends, okay?"

"Okay," Megan nodded, "So then why did you run away?"

"Why did I- why did I run away? Are you seriously asking me that?"

"Yeah, Jared, I seriously am. You've been talking to him for six months, he's your friend! What did Chad do when he found out it was his gaming buddy?" Megan took another bite of the ice cream and then picked up the cover from the bed, sliding it onto the top.

"He... hugged him and then made a stupid comment about how I wanted to bone Jensen," Jared replied and shrugged again. "He was excited, I guess."

"Well, yeah! He just met his friend in person. So why wasn't it the same for you?"

Jared just stared at her. "Megan..." he started slowly, trying to put the thoughts raging through his head into order, "he is my professor. He and Chad can game it up all they want, they don't have to have a 'working' relationship. They can just... Fuck around and not have to worry about anything."

"And you can't?" Megan asked and Jared felt they had matching expressions of exasperation.

"No, Megan, I can't!" he bit out finally, trying not to get angry as his sister rolled her eyes. "Megan... I can't have a romantic relationship with my professor. That's..."

"Perfectly legal, actually. This isn't high schoo-"

"Ethically wrong?"

"-ol. You're both consenting adults and could very easily-"

"Dishonest?"

"-have a relationship if you just got your head out of-"

"You don't bite the hand that feeds you, Megan!"

"-your ASS!" Megan yelled over him and they both fell silent.

Just as Jared was about to open his mouth, there was a loud bang against the door.

"Just so you know, J-man, I can hear you and Meggie yelling at each other down the hallway..." Chad's voice carried through the door and Jared felt his stomach flip over.

"I'm letting him in," Megan decided and twisted out of the way as Jared lunched forward to stop her.

"I swear to God, if he brought Jensen with him..." Jared groaned as Megan unlocked the door and let Chad-- and thankfully _only_ Chad-- into the room.

"We're having an ICDC moment," Megan explained, holding out the pint of melting ice cream she had yet to put away. 

"Dude, I love this room," Chad answered with a smile and grabbed it from her, flipping off the top and coming to sit on the floor, cross-legged, on the floor at the end of the bed. "Spoon?"

Megan handed hers to him and then sat back down in her computer chair, swaying it slowly with her foot as she looked between the two boys. Silence fell over the room again and Jared counted four obnoxious slurps from Chad before he sighed, loudly, and threw his best friend a look.

"What?" Chad asked through a mouthful of chocolate ice cream.

"Absolutely nothing." Jared rolled his eyes and Chad shrugged, cleaning off his spoon with his tongue.

"You know, Jensen was kind of upset you ran away like that."

Jared raised an eyebrow and looked down at where Chad was holding out the ice cream for him. After a moment Jared sighed and reached for it to put it away.

"Yeah, well..." Jared trailed off and shrugged as he turned back to look at Chad. Megan gave a small snort and then twisted her chair around to face her desk, pulling the laptop open.

"Well, what? Why did you run off?" Chad actually looked confused, shaking his head slightly and Jared fought the urge to ask him _'seriously?'_.

"Chad... Jensen is my professor. Like, did you miss that part?"

"No, but he's also your friend. Did you miss _that_ part?" Chad shot back and Jared's eyes widened at the twinge of anger in his friend's voice. "You flew out of there so fast that you hurt his feelings, Jay."

"What was I supposed to do, Chad? I mean, you figured it out in three second and just... exploded with the most inappropriate thing! And I-"

"So you ran out of there and left him hanging because I embarrassed you?" Chad was shaking his head again and Jared made a frustrated sound.

"No! Not that your comment helped but... How did you even know it was Jensen? How did-how did I _not_ know?" Jared's last question was softer and he wasn't sure if he was asking Chad or himself.

"I don't know, Jay... The moment I heard his voice, I just knew it was him. I mean, I talk to the guy for hours every week while we game together." Chad shrugged and gave a small laugh. “For a moment, when he didn't hug me back, I was so afraid he was going to think I was a freak and that I had made a mistake, actually."

Jared scratched the back of his head and nodded. "Yeah, that would've been pretty bad."

Jared looked over to the desk and saw Megan typing away on her laptop, shaking her head every few seconds. Chad was content to sit on the floor, his head tipped back to rest on the end of the bed. The silence, this time, felt strained. Jared chewed on the inside of his cheek as he played both of their words over in his head.

Had he been over reacting by running out of the room? Both Chad and Megan seemed to think so, even if they hadn't _said_ so. Jensen was his teacher; the thought still made his stomach sour and his heart beat wildly in his chest. But, if he was to be completely honest, he wasn't sure what the anxiety was from. Was it really Jensen's role as his professor? Or... something else?

He sighed and Megan turned her head to look at him, giving him a small, twisted smile. He recognized the look and was instantly on guard.

"What did you do," he demanded and saw his sister's cheeks pink up.

"You can't be mad at me," she replied quickly, kicking her leg up and pressing her foot against his stomach when he went to move. "I... may have logged into your Twitter."

"Megan! What the hell!" Jared grabbed her ankle and shoved it off his lap to scoot forward.

"Oh yeah, Jensen was messaging you when I left to find you," Chad said from the ground and Jared chose to ignore him so he could shove Megan out of the way of the laptop screen.

Hey, so…  
1:15 PM

Totally did not expect that. Like at all haha.  
1:15 PM

Small world?  
1:16 PM

Okay, so, Chad figures you're probably a little freaked out and after he left I started thinking a bit. Is it because of the student/professor thing? I can understand that... But, we were friends first. Even if you think I'm an asshole half the time.  
1:35 PM

Probably too soon?  
1:35 PM

I don't hate you, by the way.  
1:42 PM

I mean, as far as you feeling like I treat you differently in clinical... And maybe this isn't the right place to talk about school stuff but... just so you know, I don't hate you and I'm sorry I made you feel that way. I talked to some of the professors and they all said that you were one of the best students of the year and that you were going to go far and I guess I just wanted that for you. I want that for all of my students and  
1:45 PM

I am not doing this right  
1:46 PM

Your care plan is almost perfect. Senior level stuff. I am very impressed.  
2:10 PM

I am fucking this up.  
2:15 PM

Your silence has never felt so loud before.  
2:58 PM

“I think you need to ask yourself what's more important," Megan whispered, reaching down to squeeze his knee. "Worrying about what other people might think, or your friendship? And this guy," she pointed at the screen, "seems like he really, really cares about you."

Jared nodded, staring at the words again, trying to ignore the sudden heat pricking behind his eyes.

"Yeah, that and choosing between sitting through class staring at McHotstuff or banging McHotstuff."

Megan rolled her eyes at Chad and squeezed Jared's knee again.

"Also, ew at me for calling Jensen McHotstuff."

"Only Chad." Jared shook his head and looked away from the screen. He could still see the last line, seared into his mind.

_Your silence has never felt so loud before._

"Jared?"

Jared looked up as Chad cracked open his bedroom door and poked his head in. He stared at him with an eyebrow raised and waited.

"Are... we walking over together?"

Jared shook his head and looked back down at the phone in his hands, shifting his position on his bed so he was facing the wall. Chad sighed but didn't say anything as he pulled the door shut again and left.

The little blue icon seemed too bright on his phone as Jared stared at it.

It was funny--it was the one connection to Jensen that he had, the little icon and what it represented had brought him so much happiness over the past six months, and now all Jared had to do was put on a pair of jeans and walk across campus to actually see Jensen in person. But he couldn't do it.

He hadn't been able to set foot back into the lecture hall and had convinced Danneel Harris, a girl in his clinical rotation, to record the lectures for him to listen to. When he tried, he found all he could focus on was the baritone of Jensen's voice instead of his actual words…

His finger was shaking as he pressed the Twitter icon and if it weren't for the anxiety threatening to overwhelm him, he probably would've laughed. He had half a mind to ask Professor Collins if he was crazy. Being the psychology professor he would probably know. But then Jared realized that Professor Collins must be Misha, Jensen best friend, and that just...

Jared closed his eyes. He blew out a shaky breath and pulled open his messages, immediately going to his thread with Jensen.

I’m sorry… I know I’m probably just bugging you now. Have a good night Jared.  
Wednesday, 9:30 PM

Good morning! I hope you slept well.  
Thursday, 7:32 AM

Missed you in clinical today…  
Thursday, 9:21 PM

It’s been two days.  
Friday, 12:44 PM

I miss you.  
Saturday 12:45 PM

I should stop… but I can’t. You weren’t in class today and I wanted to leave and just come find you. Please Jared, talk to me.  
Monday, 1:50 PM

I keep hearing your voice in my head. Is that weird?  
Monday, 6:45 PM

If you don’t want us to talk anymore, just say so. But don’t stop coming to class. I can… I will do whatever you need me to, Jared. You’re going to be an amazing nurse and you’re an amazing person and you can’t throw that away.  
Yesterday, 3:00 PM

Jared bit his lip and immediately felt guilty that he had ignored Jensen for a week. He clicked the text bar and began to type.

Hey... So, first off I should apologize. I probably shouldn't have gone radio silent for almost a week. As much as I was freaking out, and I'll admit that I still am, I'm sure you were a little bit too. I have no idea how to start this, Jensen. Or... Professor Ackles? I mean, maybe that's where I should start. I... I don't know where we stand now. I don't know what has to change. I don't know how to internalize my feelings for you now that you’re also an authoritative figure in my life. For six months, you've been the easiest person for me to talk to. And now I don't know how. That is so upsetting to me... In that one moment where my two lives came together, I feel like I lost you.

See, I had this picture in my mind and this... Wasn't it. In order to save myself any further embarrassment, I will summarize. In my world, I thought that we had something. I... I fell for you, Jensen, the guy on Twitter who got me better than anyone else in my life, and I could see us meeting one day, I imagined your voice and the feel of your hand against mine, and in no way was that you, as my teacher, showing me how to open a tricky pill packet. My picture will never be. I fell for Jensen, not for Professor Ackles.

I still don't know how we didn't figure it out before now. I don't know if I'm angry, either. I feel... I feel stupid. Looking back there was so many signs and I just... Missed them. Hell, if you had told me you were a Professor at UNH I don't even know if I would've put those pieces together, I was so far gone on my perfect picture.

I can't go to class, Jensen. I can't sit there and stare at you and wonder and want. I don't know how to keep Jensen and Professor separate. I don't know how to blend them into one, either. I don't know what to do here and I can't sleep and I feel anxious and I miss talking to you every day and I don't know if that's wrong.

Nursing school is not nearly as hard as finding out the guy you've fallen for is actually your professor.  
11:32 AM

Jared hit send, wiping at his cheeks quickly to catch the few tears that had slipped free as he'd been typing, and he quickly hit the power button on his phone to plunge it into darkness.

He’d admitted too much.

Regret hit him and he clutched at the pillow with his hand not holding the phone. There were too many emotions... He didn't think it was possible to feel anything else.

Then his phone chimed. 

Jared!  
11:33 AM

Hold on, I didn't read your message yet, I just saw your name and felt so relieved…  
11:34 AM

Jared held his breath, staring down at the phone. Then he closed his eyes as the grey bubble popped up, showing Jensen was typing. As the seconds turned into minutes, Jared realized he had never hated something so much as that damn ellipsis… Every time it disappeared, he held his breath. His stomach flipped every time it reappeared.

The wait was agonizing. Then…

You do not have to apologize. Not at all. I have had a million thoughts running through my head as well so I understand.

Jared… I had a picture in my mind too. I was shocked when Chad walked into the room and we realized who we all were. I don’t know how we didn’t figure it out earlier, but even if Chad hadn’t come into the lecture hall? I think we would’ve figured it out-- once I started reading the first page of your care plan I was getting a sense of deja-vu. Anyway… After I got over the initial shock of Chad… I was excited. I got to meet you, Jared! I had a face and a voice to put to you, and it was better than any picture I had in my mind. And yes, it was different and unexpected, but… why does that have to be something bad? I got to meet the one person that I wake up thinking about every morning and don’t stop thinking about until I go to bed. I want to get to know you, more than I already have. I don’t want ANYTHING to change unless it’s us moving forward. I am still the same person I was last week before we realized we knew each other in ‘real life’.

I know you’re upset right now, but I will admit that hearing you say you have fallen for me makes me so happy. I am not good at this, I don’t think I am anyway, but I feel exactly the same. And that makes me so freaking happy. Jared, I always knew you were a student, that’s what brought us together in the first place, our initial connection was through nursing and through school. Maybe I should’ve told you I was a professor? But I didn’t think it mattered, and then it never came up. Honestly, I still don’t believe it matters.

I’m 28 by the way. I grew up in Texas, like we talked about. I love the Cowboys and a good steak. I started nursing after my sister got into a car accident when I was 17 and she was in and out of hospitals. I have a cat and I would love a dog, but my landlord is an asshole. I have a mole, on my butt… it kind of looks like a heart and I half hate it but not nearly as much as my freckles. Which, I have a lot of too. I teach nursing and I love it, I love helping people discover their passion. Some of my students are older than me, some are younger, and each one brings something new to the table. I don’t think of them as students, I think of them as coworkers.

I don’t care that you’re my student, Jared. You are so much more than that. You’re caring and smart, you’re hilarious and you have this light that shines from you… I don’t think you realize the effect you have when you walk into a room. I was drawn to you over the internet, but I was also drawn to you in person.  
11:42 AM

Jared felt more tears forming in his eyes as he read Jensen’s message back and let out a shaky breath. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do here… He didn’t know what the right answer was supposed to be. Part of him wanted to slap himself-- this was everything he’d ever wanted! It was an earlier start to his ‘picture’ than he’d dared imagine, definitely more complicated, but so far they had been able to talk about everything and anything, surely they would be able to work out the kinks?-- and the other part wanted to screenshot their conversation to send to Megan to get her opinion. He had a sneaking suspicion that her response would be identical to the one she had last week in her dorm room and would be similar to what the other side of him was already feeling.

If you don’t think there’s anything wrong with us being student and teacher… why didn’t you approach me in person before? Why didn’t you try to start up a relationship, or, hell, a friendship with me? *Before* you knew I who I was online?  
11:55 AM

Jared saw the ellipsis show up, but it was gone seconds before he was able to get nervous and Jensen’s reply made his heart stop.

Because as amazing as the Jared in my class was? My heart was already gone. I was in love with you, no one else mattered. It wasn’t worth entertaining.  
11:57 AM

I need to see you. Please?  
12:00 PM

Jared felt himself smiling through his tears, his stomach a mess of nerves as he re-read Jensen’s message again, and again. Happiness began to override his feelings of uncertainty and fear and he quickly typed in his address and hit send.

Jared had spent the past hour since he gave Jensen his address cleaning the house and showering. His stomach was a twisted pit of nerves, but he felt lighter than he had in the past week. It had taken some convincing to get Jensen to stay for the rest of his office hours, but finally the other man had relented and then Jared was off, making sure the apartment looked meticulous.

He glanced at the clock and blew out a breath. Jensen would be here any second…

**_Jared [1:55pm]: Find something to do after class please._ **

**_Chad [1:55pm]: Dude how can u still b mad @ me?_ **

**_Jared [1:56pm]: I’m not. Jensen is going to be coming over to talk…_ **

**_Chad [1:57pm]: No boning on the couch._ **

**_Jared [1:57pm]: Seriously, Chad?_ **

**_Chad [1:58pm]: Just saying._ **

**_Chad [1:59pm]: happy ur talking 2 him. Happy 4u._ **

Jared rolled his eyes and slipped the phone back into his pocket. He wondered if he should put on some coffee… or maybe Jensen drank tea? There were probably a few beers in the fridge… The knock on the door cut off any further thoughts about drinks and he licked his lower lip as he moved across the living room to answer it.

Jensen stood there, his hair disheveled and sticking up as if he’d been running his fingers through it all afternoon. Jared gave a small smile as he stepped back and tried not to laugh when he saw Jensen’s jacket was folded up in the back.

“I came as soon as I could,” Jensen was saying, and from the way he sounded Jared wanted to ask if he’d run all the way to the apartment. “I couldn’t find parking downstairs and then I started worrying that maybe you would’ve changed your mind and left or, I don’t know, not answered the door?”

He turned around and gave Jared a nervous smile. “I’m glad you’re here, and that you let me in, and that sounded so much _less_ creepy in my head.”

Jared laughed and motioned towards the couch. “No, I understood what you meant.”

Jensen nodded and silence fell over them. Jared took Jensen’s jacket as he slipped it off of his shoulders, and took his time hanging it on the metal hanger by the door.

“Do… you want something to drink?”

“Um, sure.” Jensen nodded and Jared took the opportunity to flee into the kitchen. He stood there for a moment, staring into the fridge, realizing he never actually _asked_ Jensen what he wanted. Maybe coffee… everyone likes coffee…

“I’m just going to make a pot of coffee!” he called over his shoulder and jumped when Jensen answered, his voice definitely not coming from the living room.

“Coffee sounds good.” 

Jared turned and saw Jensen standing at the end of the counter, a nervous smile still playing at his lips. He nodded and got the pot started, then leaned against the counter to face Jensen.

Thankfully, it was Jensen who broke the silence first.

“Look, I don’t want things to be awkward.” He gave a small laugh and reached up to scratch the back of his head. “You’ve become a staple in my life, Jared. And… I don’t want that to change. I…” He paused and shifted on his feet, eyes darting up to meet Jared’s and Jared’s breath caught at the emotion he saw there.

“We hadn’t really defined anything online, not in so many words, but I want to be with you, Jared.”

Jared swallowed hard, the coffee maker bubbling behind him the only sound in the room for a second. He was glad when his voice didn’t crack as he asked, “How?”

“How?” Jensen repeated and then slowly moved forward. He kept some space between them, and Jared was grateful for the room to escape if he wanted to. Though he was pretty sure there was _nothing_ that would make him want to move from this spot.

“Like this.”

Jensen reached forward, touching the back of Jared’s hand softly until Jared turned his hand over and Jensen was able to lace their fingers together.

“I want to be able to do this,” he said, giving Jared’s fingers a squeeze, “and stand in your kitchen together while we brew a pot of coffee. I want to grade care plans at my kitchen table while you study beside me. I want to take you to dinner and let you eat all of my green beans, because they seem to be the one side vegetable that every restaurant has around here and they’re _so_ awful.”

Jared squeezed his hand back and nodded. “I could probably eat all your green beans,” he whispered and Jensen smiled, shifting closer again.

“I want to talk to you, every day, and wish you good morning and tell you to sleep well. I want to fight over who gets to hold the remote whenever we watch TV together. I want to take you for a drive and just talk to you for hours, because now that I know what your voice sounds like? I can’t get enough.”

“Are you sure you’re a cardiac nurse and not a poet?” Jared asked and felt his heart skip as Jensen reached his free hand up to brush a lock of hair from his face to hook behind his ear.

“You bring it out in me,” Jensen replied and trailed his fingers down the side of Jared’s face and around the back of his neck. “I want to be able to have Chad drop the ‘Twitter’ in front of ‘boyfriend’ whenever he talks to me about you.”

“Oh my god, he doesn’t.” Jared laughed in embarrassed disbelief (but not really; of _course_ Chad would do that) and shook his head gently, trying not to knock Jensen’s hand away. Jensen’s palm was warm in his and Jared pulled slightly, bringing Jensen forward so he could feel the heat of his body.

“I’m going to kiss you, Jared,” Jensen said softly and Jared nodded once before surging forward himself and pressing their lips together.

He felt Jensen’s fingers tighten around the back of his neck, holding him in place as he kissed him softly, leaving him breathless when he pulled back and pressed their foreheads together. Behind him, the coffee maker beeped that it was ready, but neither one of them moved, both of them content to just be.

Jared opened his mouth to speak just as the front door crashed open and Chad came through, singing a loud, “La-la-la-la, I don’t want to hear anything! La-la-la, I’m not looking!” Jared shook his head and was disappointed when Jensen pulled away to look over at Chad crossing the living room with his hands over his ears and his eyes shut tight. He opened his eyes as he got into the kitchen and they immediately widened.

“Oh, I thought you were in the living room. Or, like, horizontal in your bedroom.” Chad gave them an apologetic shrug and then an approving look. “Looks like you’re heading in the right direction.”

“Chad!” Jared sighed and Chad nodded quickly.

“I know, I know, you told me to buzz off. But… I am covered in sea muck and needed new jeans.” He kicked out his leg and Jared looked down to see brown sludge up half of his pant leg. “So… I’m just… gone. Yup, leaving now!”

Jared heard his bedroom door shut and he tugged on Jensen’s arm, pulling him closer once more. “For the record?” he started, “I want all that, too.”

Jensen’s lips against his were the best response he could’ve hoped for.


	5. Chapter 5

Jared paced the small office and fought with himself not to throw up.

This was, hands down the worst feeling in the world. The past two months had flown by. Due to his and Jensen’s new relationship, Jared had suggested switching clinical groups, doing his cardiac clinical rotation with the pediatric nurse instead. Jensen had been irritated at first, only because he wanted Jared to get everything he could out of his clinical, and was worried that the professor he was with wasn’t going to be able to teach him as much.

_“Then you’re just going to have to look over my notes from clinical and tell me all the tricks you would’ve told me had I stayed in your group! Or, you know, make sure your lecture is up to par.”_

Jensen had glared at him and then tickled his feet -- why he had _ever_ decided to tell him that he was ticklish there was beyond him -- until he took it back and told Jensen he was the best cardiac professor to ever walk the earth.

The psych rotation with Misha was interesting, though Jared learned more than he ever would’ve expected from their six weeks at the state hospital.

The clinicals themselves were the easy part. Jared loved working with and talking to his patients, loved exploring the charts and watching the nurses on the floor interact with providers and other departments. He was able to watch a cardiac cath, watch an initial psychological intake exam, and was able to gown up and observe an open heart surgery.

It was this part that sucked.

The door to the office opened and Jared spun around. Jensen gave him a slightly surprised look and then walked over to him, kissing him gently before dropping his briefcase down by his desk and sitting in his office chair.

“Why the heck are you here so early?” Jensen asked as he reached down to turn on the computer.

“Because I couldn’t do it,” Jared groaned, reaching down for one of the visitor chairs and dragging it around the desk to sit next to Jensen. He scooted in close, their thighs touching, as he thrust his phone into his boyfriend’s hands. “Why did you take _forever_ to get here?”

“Jay, it’s not even seven in the morning,” Jensen laughed and tapped the home button to wake up the phone. “Why didn’t you tell me last night? I would’ve looked for you before you went out with Chad…”

“Because I didn’t want to know.” Jared sighed and glanced down, watching Jensen type in his password and find the BlackBoard app. “Wait! I still don’t want to know, give it back!”

Jared knew Jensen rolled his eyes, but he released his hold on the phone and let Jared take it back. Lifting his hips, he shoved it back into his pocket. Jared groaned and leaned to the side, crossing his arms on the desk beside Jensen’s keyboard and plopping his head down on top of them.

“I already know I failed,” he mumbled into his elbow and felt Jensen’s shake of laughter beside him. “I can’t believe you’re laughing at me. I would be mad at you if I weren’t so distraught.”

“You didn’t fail, Jared. Molly said you were amazing in clinical, and so did Misha. And you knew every set of flashcards we did together for every test. I don’t know why you think-”

“Just because I passed clinical doesn’t mean I passed all of my tests, Jensen! I needed an eighty-four on the final exam. An eighty-four! That’s like… never going to happen. I probably got seventy-four and I failed and I’m going to be kicked out and then I’ll be your loser boyfriend who will never make it as a nurse and-”

“Eighty-nine.”

Jared’s head snapped up and he looked at the back of Jensen’s head, his boyfriend focused on scrolling through the screen on his computer.

“What?”

“Eighty-nine. You got an eighty-nine on your final.” Jensen clicked a few times and then turned in his chair, beaming back at Jared. “You did it, Jay!”

“You can’t tell me my grades like that!” Jared answered and Jensen rolled his eyes.

“Are you going to be happy about this or mad that I stopped your unnecessary pouting?”

Jared glared at him as Jensen leaned forward and kissed him.

“I’m proud of you.”

“I am going to be mad at you for ruining it for at least five minutes,” Jared answered against his lips, kissing him harder.

“Okay, tell me when you’re not mad so that we can celebrate,” Jensen laughed and pushed back, adjusting his chair so he could press closer, his knee resting between Jared’s.

“We aren’t having sex in your office, Jensen.” Jared rolled his eyes but leaned in, letting Jensen kiss him again.

“What about on the airplane?” Jensen asked as he moved down, kissing the side of Jared’s neck.

“No, I am not having sex in an airplane,” Jared laughed and pushed his shoulders gently. “I’m trying to be mad at you, stop making me laugh.”

“Oh, my apologies, I completely forgot.” Jensen smirked and then looked back at the computer for a moment. “What about in your childhood bedroom? Can we have sex there?”

“Is that all you think about?” Jared reached forward, wrapping his arms around Jensen’s side and leaning his head on his shoulder. Jensen didn’t answer, but Jared knew he was smiling. He rested there while Jensen sent out his final emails, getting everything set for Winter Break. He couldn’t bite back his smile so he buried his grin against the back of Jensen’s arm.

“I did it,” he said after a moment and felt Jensen nod. Jensen reached over his arm, running his fingers through Jared’s hair.

“I actually passed. I only have three semesters left, Jensen!”

“I know, baby.” Jensen turned slowly and pulled Jared into a hug. “You’re more than halfway there!”

Jared nodded and squeezed him back. No matter how many times he found himself in Jensen’s arms like this, part of him still couldn’t believe this was real. He had never felt this way before, had never felt like someone else ever understood him so completely and loved him so purely. It was almost effortless; being with Jensen made him feel like he was home.

“Thank you,” he said softly and felt Jensen pull back a little so he could look down at him.

“For what?” Jensen asked, and Jared just shook his head, leaning up to kiss him.

Jensen chuckled and kissed him back before logging out of the computer and picking up a pile of papers at the edge of his desk. “I just have to drop these off at Jean’s office and then we can pick up your bags. We don’t have to pick up Megan to leave for the airport for another four hours, so we can hang out with Chad if you want?”

Jared nodded, putting the chair he’d moved back into place and stepped into the hallway to let Jensen lock up the office behind them. He found Jensen’s hand easily and together they walked down the hall to the Nursing Director’s office so Jensen could find Jean’s mailbox.

As they stepped outside, Jared blinked at the sudden white around them and lifted his head to watch the snow drifting down around them. He squeezed Jensen’s hand, rolling his eyes as he realized his boyfriend hadn’t grabbed his gloves when he left his house that morning. He pulled Jensen closer to his side and started to walk towards the staff parking lot.

Jensen unlocked the car and shoved his briefcase in the back, pulling out the snow brush to get the thin layer of dust off the top of the car. Jared wondered if they were going to end up having a delay because of the snow; at least they would be in Manchester instead of down in Boston.

They both got into the car once Jensen put the brush in the back seat. Jensen started the engine, turning on the defrosters, and Jared reached over for his hands to rub them between his own, warming up his fingers. Jensen smiled at him, turning to give Jared better access.

“I love you, so much,” Jensen said after a moment and Jared paused, glancing up from his pink hands to see Jensen watching him.

“We’re not having sex in the car, either,” Jared answered and raised an eyebrow.

“Damnit!” Jensen laughed, pulling his hands back to put the car in reverse. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

Jared rolled his eyes and grabbed onto Jensen’s right hand, locking their fingers together. He rested their hands on the top of Jensen’s thigh and let out a content breath.

It wasn’t perfect; they were still getting to know each other in real life, the quirks and kinks that an online-only relationship would never have had. Jensen never brought his dirty dishes to the sink, Jared never capped the toothpaste. There had been a few comments and remarks about their relationship that Jensen was able to take in stride but which Jared struggled with for much longer. They’d had one fight (Jared can’t even remember what it was about now, other than he was stressed from his finals and overreacted --not that he would tell Jensen that). But he wouldn’t change a thing.

Their ‘wireless connection’ had transformed into something Jared’s imagination never could’ve pictured. Jensen was warm and kind and so much _more_ than anything Jared could have dreamed up. Sitting here beside him, his fingers warm where they pressed against Jensen’s, his boyfriend humming ‘Simple Man’ under his breath despite the radio being turned off, meant so much for something so... uncomplicated. So easy, so good. They weren’t perfect, but this feeling that Jared got every time he looked at Jensen?

“I love you, too.” Jared broke the silence and Jensen paused his humming, glancing over with a huge smile. He squeezed Jared’s fingers, lifting them up once to kiss his knuckles.

Jared turned to the window and watched the snow falling down and was grateful for the warmth inside the vehicle.

It was quiet in the car except for the humming beside him and the soft rumble of the engine, but it was that good type of silence. Jared felt content and comfortable. He was happy, and as Jensen ran his thumb over the edge of his hand, Jared was surrounded with the feeling of _home_.

They had only started on their journey - so much more than their literal trip to Jared’s parents’ house for the holidays - and Jared just smiled into the perfect silence.

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you SO MUCH for taking this journey with us! Kudos and comments are explode-y hearts of love! ♥♥♥


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